Monday, February 16, 2009

Warning: Embarassing Material to Follow...

Is it just me, or do gringos have a lot of hang-ups about toilet privacy?
Situation A:
My husband's in the shower and nature comes a callin'. I don't think twice about walking in for a quick tinkle. Unfortunately, it never fails that every time this happens, my shout of "Don't mind me, I just gotta pee" is met by strangled gurgles behind the shower curtain and a series of complaints. I think that if he could reach the door from the shower to slam it behind me after I'm done, he would.
Situation B:
I'm in a hurry and run into the bathroom for a quick tinkle. Hubby happens to go walking by (or maybe nature is calling him, too) when his footsteps suddenly stop, he clicks his tongue and his laments of "why can't you shut the door?" fade into the distance as his footsteps beat a hasty retreat.
At first, I thought it was just being a mom, but then thinking back on it, I can remember how growing up, if someone had to do their business, they didn't always shut the bathroom door. Maybe we'd sort of shut it - the halfway-closed kinda thing, you know? I'm mostly talking about the females in my family, of course, which leads me to the question: is it being a mom, a woman, or a Latina that makes using the potty no big deal?
Of course, I mean among familia only! I really wouldn't go to my husband's bosses house for a dinner party and just go use their bathroom without shutting the door! Obviously, there would be more than a little shock and embarrassment involved there. And come to think of it, I wouldn't do that at my in-laws, either. Just at home.
But seriously, at home, who cares? Everybody's gotta pee, no? What's the big deal? Maybe part of my deal is that our bathroom has a little wall that runs perpedicular to the door and hides the toilet. Anyone walking by can see my legs, but it's not like they can actually see me doing anything. That is, until my kids come barrelling in arguing and complaining about one another. Sometimes I'm yelling, "chihuahua, get outta here, can't a mami have a little privacy?!?"
But sometimes, in the early morning moments, when the whisper of tired, little feet come dragging quietly in, I'll admit, that on occasion, I have been known to give in and pick up a tiny body and hold it in my lap as they sleepily beg to be held and snuggled.
So, que? What do you think? Is it just me? Would you be embarrassed to death or could you not care less? Do you think it is being a woman? A mom? Or a Latina? I'm curious....
~Monica

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm going to say it's a Latina thing =) I'm the same way and it drives DH mad sometimes. And I can tell I'm raising DD the same way! DH will be taking care of business and DD & I will just prance right in and ask him a question or get something we need. I'm glad I'm not the only one with this level of comfort in the bathroom =)

Violeta said...

Oh, good, I'm not so strange. Me, too!

Claudia said...

jaja!

i'm the same way. the funny thing is that my husband and kids can march right on in, but when my husband is in there he locks the door! i think it's a latina mom thing :)

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