Wrinkles of Rebellion
How an Unused Iron Became My Symbol of Independence
The iron is the small appliance used to remove wrinkles from fabric. It is also known as a clothes iron, steam iron, flat iron, smoothing iron or iron box.
I have the same iron I bought in Boots The Chemist, Oxford, in 1995, at the age of 23, and I have used it less than ten times.
I don’t iron; I just don’t.
I know how to; I was taught to iron my father’s handkerchiefs and shirts as a child.
So, when I first moved in with my ex-partner, I dutifully bought the iron and an ironing board and started pairing his socks for him ‘as his mum does’.
But I never ironed anything; I didn’t see the point.
I wore a uniform to work that was always crease-free if I hung it up immediately after washing, and I wore jeans and t-shirts on weekends.
“What was the point of ironing?” I said to myself.
Over the years, the iron moved home with us a few times, and the ironing boards changed.
My ex-partner was using the iron more than I was, and to me, it gradually became a symbol of…
