Irrational Fear Number One: Public Restrooms

        Irrational fears. Everyone has them whether we choose to admit it or not. I have many irrational fears and my next couple blogs will be addressing them. So, here goes.

• Irrational Fear Number One: Public Restrooms

            I don’t know if it is the smell, the germs, or the overall idea of them, but I am terrified of public restrooms. I absolutely hate them. I rarely ever use public restrooms, unless there is a dire emergency. I have found that this really isn’t all that acceptable, but oh well. Along with my fear of public bathrooms comes the fear of public sinks.

            Once again, I don’t know why exactly I am afraid of them; I just can’t deal with the germs. I mean, let’s be real here, do you know where the hands that have touched that sink have been? No? Didn’t think so. So, how does one who is afraid of public sinks wash her hands, you may ask? Hand sanitizer; Warm Vanilla Sugar to be exact. Bath and Body Works has nifty little bottles of hand sanitizer and you can bet that I have plenty.

            Now, I realize that at some point in my life I am going to have to face my fear; college. There are two words that terrify me; Community Bathroom. I have contemplated time and again on what I am going to do when I get to college. I still don’t know. So, when I went to visit some friends at Luther, I got a little taste for what it would be like. 

            I went to the Flamingo Ball homecoming dance at Luther and had an awesome time. I went to sleep and when I woke up I had to face the moment I had been dreading since I left home the prior morning, showering. I gathered my shower toiletries and ventured upstairs to the community bathroom, not knowing what lie ahead. I opened that door and was hit with an awful odor, but still I entered to face my doom. I chose the closest shower to the sinks, figuring that maybe, possibly, no one used it as much because it wasn’t as private; privacy was not my top concern at this point.

            I soon found that no matter where you go in a girl’s community bathroom, you are never safe. There was hair everywhere! I didn’t touch anything with my bare hands. It was the worst experience of my life, I thought. After getting out of the shower and getting dressed, it was time to fix up my hair and brush my teeth. I went to the sink and was even more horrified. Once again, hair everywhere as well as toothpaste, make-up, and other foreign substances that I don’t even want to know. I hurried as fast as possible and got out of there, not wanting to spend a single moment longer in that death trap.

            Needless to say, I am going to cherish every moment I have with my own bathroom, or try to find a college with a private bathroom. So, if anyone has any suggestions, I welcome them with open arms. Stay clean and be safe!