Attack of the Killer Toilets

The night that I went driving to keep myself distracted, I stopped into a Barnes & Noble to look for a blank book.

I headed for the ladies room and found a queue of ladies standing back against the door and two stalls standing vacant.  I queried if someone was going to use the empty toilets, but they sort of mumbled something about the little girl that was huddled by one of the women being afraid.

I walked into the stall they pointed to and flushed the toilet.  Problem solved, I thought.  I walked back to my place in line and said, "Go ahead."

Nope.

So I walked into the handicapped stall, which was clean except for toilet paper on the floor.  I said, "This one is free... just some paper on the floor."

Nope.

"Okay, whatever...."

I was chagrined and I REALLY wanted to say something to the child and her parent.

The child was no more than eight years old, if that.

I wanted to say to her mother, "How do you expect her to survive if she can't even pee in public?  You've got her afraid of a toilet!"

I can't imagine what else the child fears.  I would have liked to have told the girl that the world is pretty big and full of lots and lots and lots of things and that if you fear everything you'll never cut the muster.

I found a book and went on my way, but here it is a week later and I am still thinking about being so young and so afraid of something so ridiculously liveable, conquerable.  Oi.

If you are terrified of toilets, carry disinfectant.

This is all about the fear of death, you know, but if you spend your time fearing germs you won't ever live.