Washed

As I pulled into the carwash, aligned my tires with the track that would carry my car from dirty to clean, and released the steering wheel, I instinctively reached for my phone on the dash. For the next three minutes I snapped photos like there was no tomorrow, recording the splashes and the scrubs, the suds and the rinses. Streaks, bubbles, waves, sprays. That was several years ago and many cleaned cars— and photographs— later.

Several months ago I was greeted upon arrival with an elating surprise. My carwash had been pimped!* Bright, flashing, color-changing lights were synced with the changes in every washing stage. While it made no difference in the quality of the wash, it did add an incredible amount of pleasure to my photographing experience. From drab grays and blacks to technicolor movement. Don’t get me wrong. I love muted, even monochromatic images. Nevertheless, the color and action added in this instance a dimension of delight.

I enhanced my joy by occasionally moving my camera to blur intentionally and “complicate” the images. Be still my heart!

The carwash has not only become for me a place of creative exploration. It has also led me to reflect on the metaphor embedded in the washing. Washing is at its heart a transforming process— moving us from dirty to clean, from old to new, from past to future— a dynamic rooted in many of our daily experiences and a dimension that often saves us from ourselves and empowers us for confronting the powers and principalities of this world that seek to crush life.

Washing is the core dynamic of new beginnings and second chances. Through emotional and social “washing,” the shortcomings of the past are converted into the possibilities of tomorrow. 

As I give thanks for my carwash experiences, I extend to you a two-fold invitation:

1. The next time you get your vehicle washed, align its wheels, loosen your grip, grab your phone, and snap a few photos. Have a moment or two of creative fun!
2. Additionally, if you have connection with the Christian movement, you might rehearse these lines as you emerge from the dark inthralls of the wash into the brightness of the day, “Remember your baptism and be thankful!”

* “pimped:” something has been customized and adorned in a very ostentatious and lavish way, often with flashy accessories or decorations (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)