Bathroom Break.

(This is not a continuation of my media commentary. The commentary will be continued at a later time. This is simply a suggestion for all of my readers who need a short break for educational and cultural influences to maintain a place in their otherwise hectic lives.)

After visiting my friend, Sheila's house, and spending time there, I learned a few things. This is but one of them.

In every bathroom in her home, Sheila has placed books.

I always found this sort of weird and disgusting - when people placed books in their bathrooms - encouraging someone to sit and poop for a long period of time seemed a little wrong to me - and well...stinky. Every time I saw those books piled on the back of a toilet or in a basket nearby, I could only think of that poopy smell, and was distracted and disgusted by this - which is why, if you have been to my home you know that I do not have books in my bathroom... well... I DIDN'T have books there.

Since visiting Sheila's and seeing her books that actually meant something in the bathroom, rather than just old magazines or "The Bathroom Book" or something also strange - at least to me - I found books of poetry or feminist literature or generally enlightening reading - books of quotes - things like this - things you could actually read in under a minute - even if you were just peeing, you would have time to gain a little knowledge.

In light of this, I have placed on the backs of my toilets (only in two bathrooms, thus far, I'm trying to be deliberate about what I place where) the following: The Art Book (miniature version) and a book of short poems called Imagine, that I purchased in Ireland when I spent a semester there during my junior year of college. These books have short enough entries that a reader could actually complete an entire page in one "sitting" and learn something or have an enlightening and beautiful experience while relieving him or herself.

I now have a goal each time I use one of those toilets: to read an entire page every time. Even if I only need to sit there for ten seconds, I spend the thirty it takes to complete the entire page, and I have this lovely intelligent break in my day; it's only a minute, but it is fantastic. I have determined to attempt to read and learn about every painting and artist in the art book. I turn to a random page as soon as I sit down and study the painting and then read the brief blurb about the artist as I sit. Thus far, The Art Book is more satisfying than Imagine, and so I may exchange it for something more elevated in the near future.

I wanted to share this little insight to the Bathroom Break with all of you, because I think it is a valuable contribution to our society. I think that everyone should have carefully selected literature, able to be read in very brief segments, available in their bathrooms so that all of us can continue our cultural and academic experiences, have a break from our work days, get a little adult "conversation" (for those of us who are stay-at-home moms), and catch up a little on "the outside world". Just remember to wash your hands when you're finished.