Tender Flushes

I went to tinkle, flushed, washed my hands and thought, "Thank God."

I wonder what it's like to grow in a village or town without running water? When I was little, we'd visit my great-grandma in the country and although she had indoor plumbing, at night when we went to bed, she'd leave the bed pan.

Have you ever seen a bed pan? I don't mean the plastic facsimilies-sp? you get in hospitals. I mean the metal pans decorated with flowers and stuff. There's nothing like waking up in the middle of the night, climbing out of bed and stepping into a bowl of piss.

As a kid, it baffled me. Why the hell would you need to piss in a metal bowl when you can mosey on down the hall to use the toilet? I realize now that back in the day, there was no indoor plumbing so "going to the bathroom" at night meant going outdoors to the outhouse. In that context, bed pans would be awesomely convenient.

Ironically, the simple act of washing my hands reminded me of my childhood and my great-grandma who couldn't flush what passed. The nostalgia of these memories was pungent...pun grossly intended, but it also made me realize how blessed many of us truly are.

Much of the world's population grows up "without." We take the simple act of taking a poo indoors for granted.

What are you thankful for and what do you take for granted? What "simple things can you not live without?

Source: http://doseofbltch.com

I am most thankful for running water. Being able to bathe, cook, drink, clean without going to a well...or worse...trekking miles 3 or 4 times a day to collect water for everything from bathing to cooking dinner.

My point is, the next time you brush your teeth and let the water run...

The next time you wash dishes and let the water run...think and be thankful.

+1 on the running water. I'm thankful for all of the conveniences that make life more than a sole mission to survive.


Umm. Other than that, I'm thankful for my free mind.

Echo all of that.

I think of those commercials asking you to save a kid for 80 cents a day. So I'm thankful that I get freedom of choice with respect to food. I'll never enjoy a candy bar again.

I am thankful for being physically/emotionally independent!

The rest are for small minds, small amusements??_ kind of stuff??_!