I actually thought it was a myth, a bad stereotype of college students; that they come home when it is time to do the laundry. It has been nearly four years now that Trey has been a college student. The first two years he lived in the dorms and there was a washer and dryer on his floor, not far from his door. So I didn’t see the laundry so much.

But the last two years he has lived off campus and doesn’t have a washer or dryer in his apartment – poor baby.  He does have a small SUV and a basket of laundry fits just fine in there. I bet he passes the town Laundromat several times a week. I don’t see any reason why he can’t stop in there and toss some clothes in the washer while he’s reading a few chapters. Heck I did that when I was in college. I was too far away from home to hold out until I got a ride home to New York from Ohio maybe twice a school year (Thanksgiving/ Christmas break and summer). You never knew when the athletes were gonna run through the girls’ dorm floors yelling panty raid; better have clean draws, if you know what I mean.  Besides, I didn’t have a car while I was in college. I couldn’t just come and go as I pleased – I had to beg for a ride and pay for the gas.  

I don’t know if it is a boy thing or what, but these days every time the child comes home from North West Missouri State in Maryville — about two hours away — even if it’s just a few days, He brings a basket of laundry.

You know I wouldn't mind so much since he actually does his own laundry, he prefers to do it,  but he never comes with any laundry soap. You see where I’m going with this?

He does load after load while he is home and uses all my detergent, softener and dryer sheets – that stuff is expensive. When we figured the cost of college I don’t remember accounting for laundry. Probably should have, though. You guys keep that in mind.

Don’t get me wrong I love having my son home. Sometimes I can hardly wait for him to come home because I miss him a bunch. But darn, does he have to use “all” the laundry detergent?

This last time while he was home I noticed that the whole time he hadn’t started the washing machine even once. I was really surprised. He told me that he had planned to leave early on Sunday, he said before dinner, before 3 p.m. so he could get back before dark; it gets dark earlier now.

I thought well maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe this time he hadn’t hauled a sack-load of laundry home to wash. WRONG!  I went off to work for a few hours and when I returned about 3 p.m. he was still there, the washer and dryer were whirling simultaneously and there were still a few piles of laundry strewn about the basement floor. It’s a good thing I’d gotten the pipes fixed or he’d have been out of luck.  

 He stayed through dinner and didn’t leave until he’d done all of his laundry – several loads.

So no, the laundry-toting college student is not a myth. It is absolute truth. I guess I should be glad he’s got enough clothes to make it between trips home, and that I taught the boy to do his own laundry so at least when he bring home a few loads I’m not the one having to wash and fold.