They say you save water by taking a
shower as opposed to a bath. But they probably haven't met me. I used
to and sometimes still do take long showers, the warm water washing
across my body removing grime and making me “clean” once again.
I thought if I could stay in a shower
long enough my problems, worries, and fear would flow down the drain
with the dirt and soap suds. Every part of my body that I hate would
dissolve away. That scar from the time an annoying fellow student
grew impatient and slammed the drawer above in the library card
catalog onto my hand. Ouch. It's still there long after the card
catalogs have been retired and auctioned off to collectors or used
for firewood. Scars and this other thing I never really cared for.
Gone, replaced by perfect skin, what should have been there in the
first place. Exiting the shower I feel better, look fresher, but
still have the same issues as before.
The worst thing that could happen in a
shower other than Norman Bates appearing is to be pelted by a sudden
burst of frigid water. The hot water tank is now empty. Or perhaps
someone in the dorm bathroom is flushing the toilet again, hungover
from a night of partying, cheap women and cheaper booze.
I had the hot water run out at a
campground once. The worst part of that would be I still stubbornly
held out in the shower for the hot water to return to get my quarters
worth. They had a quarter for 8 minutes of hot water. Then it was
reduced to seven minutes, then six minutes, five, four. At that
juncture they decided they could not reduce time anymore so they
upped the price to 50 cents for six minutes. More quarters in the
slot box made them a target for vandals to break into. Quarters were
replaced with tokens and you had to track down a camp host or even
less likely a park ranger to obtain. Three tokens for a dollar. Two
tokens could be used for x minutes. The extra token usually became a
donation to the state or county running the park. I'd find a few when
cleaning out the campgrounds those two summers I was employed.
Another bad thing that can happen after
taking a nice warm shower is to either put back on the soggy, wet,
cold clothing you had on before or go outside into the immediate
inclement weather and get drenched. I have forgotten about the line
backing up at our place. In that case you had to stop your shower and
rush outside to a line opening, unscrew the cap, then plunge
vigorously so it would hopefully all go away. You were likely naked
at that point, standing in the cold and rainy weather, while
plunging. It's not a scene you want to remember or have the
neighbors that may peer over the fence remember.
The longest I went without showering
was a week at camp. I suppose I could have in theory used the
showers. But after having your possessions stolen by so called
trustworthy fellow scouts, I just lived with the sweat and dust. Even
then someone swiped my filthy and rank socks. When I was employed at
the same camp it was no different. Now it was some other
“trustworthy” employee running off with your stuff. What became
of those individuals that stole from me? One became a cop and still
steals from people he arrests. Nothing changed except now he does it
“legally.” Damn bastard. I got 24 hours off from camp each week
after the campers went home and before a new group arrived. I would
use that time to shower in the safety of my parent's house. Then I'd
have to drive all the way back.
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