So, I’m doing a farm stay in Ireland. It is through an organisation (of which there are many; Workaway and HelpX to name to name a couple) where travellers can connect with a family or business and work in exchange for room and board – no visa required.
Anyway, the point is I’m staying on this farm where everything is as ecologically sound as possible. Anyway who knows me will recognise that I am in full support of this position.
Now the lights in the toilet and showers are timed so that once you switch them on, they will automatically turn off after a prescribed time. I had a lovely long (10/15min) shower this evening and all was good. Here’s the thing I discovered though – the toilet light does NOT stay on long enough for you to both brush your teeth and use the loo.
I should briefly explain the origins of me evening ritual. A few years ago I discovered that I was often so intoxicated (or otherwise exhausted) that I would neglect to brush my teeth before going to bed. It’s disgusting and I hate the feeling of waking up with filthy teeth. I would not, on the other hand, ‘forget’ to pee before collapsing into me bed. So I created a routine whereby each night I would force myself to brush my teeth before my final toilet visit for the evening. The routine worked and now I automatically brush my teeth regardless of how ‘tired and emotional’ I may be. An interesting side effect to this manufactured ritual is that now when brushing my teeth morning, noon or night, I have to pee strait after. I’m like one of Pavlov’s dogs. No doubt in the near future someone will just have to show me a toothbrush and my bladder will shudder.
So anyway, I went tonight and brushed my teeth in the toilet/sink area and then sat to relieve myself when SNAP, off goes the light. Strangely enough, peeing in the dark was quite an interesting phenomenon. While it is incredibly vulnerable, ‘I am half naked, sitting on the loo in the dark’, there is also a childish pleasure ‘I’m kinda doing something rude but it’s okay, ‘cause no one can see me’. So all in all, not a bad little discovery. I urge everyone to try it sometime! J
