Bathrooms…

Given my previous blog, there is little surprise that I would pay attention to bathrooms. (I hope these ‘bodily’ blogs aren’t too much for everyone.) Where we are living we enjoy the bless of fully functional bathrooms. In fact our home here in Nigeria has 3 full bathrooms! I mean this is the lap of luxury.

But bathrooms are never a given here. I have not visited any churches, for example, that have bathrooms. Hey that’s simply a fact of life here. Susan has learned that she goes to the bathroom before she leaves our home, no matter where we are going, because it is highly likely that where we are going will not have one.

It is at times like these I am glad that I am male, once I get past the modesty issue, I can adjust to going outside some where. For the first time every I had to do that here where I teach. It was chapel hour so that my usual bathroom, in the library, was unavailable. They close the library during chapel. After finding the library closed, I scoured the Administration Building for a functioning bathroom. I found one, but the stalls were locked (??), I don’t know why but I wasn’t about to find out why either… so I resorted to the out-of-doors. I wandered behind the chapel in an area that was fairly secluded and …

I confess I felt uncomfortable doing that, but nature was calling and I had little choice. Culturally it is not a problem. I cannot tell you how many times I have been driving or walking the streets when I see a man facing a wall doing his business. I am still uncomfortable with it, but…

Susan has friends who were missionaries in a more rural area of Nigeria, who when they come home on furlough had a few rules they needed to impose upon their children. One of the rules: you cannot go outside the church building and go to the bathroom against the wall! In the US churches have bathrooms!

Well I continue to be uncomfortable with this relieve yourself where ever you are mentality, but when there are no bathrooms it is a fact of life. Like I said, I am glad I am a male!

One more bathroom detail, bring toilet paper! Even when I have found a bathroom I have never seen toilet paper. In fact outside of our or other missionaries homes and maybe a hotel, I have never seen TP in a bathroom. As I think about it I have never seen a TP holder either! Now I have no idea what people do (and I am not going to ask)! I have simply learned have some TP with you, wherever you go!

Have a great day and next time you walk into your bathroom take a moment to appreciate what you have. Many maybe even most in the world do not have one.