Thursday, February 7, 2008

Number 1 or Number 2?

I had to pee today before one of my classes, so I walked into the women's (because believe it or not, I have a vagina) restroom and the stalls were occupied minus one: the handicap stall. I took a step forward then hesitated, was there something wrong with the toilet? No toilet paper? Pee on the seat?

In a discussion my roomie and I had, she conveyed that it was a moral consciousness that was coming into play here. "You don't park in handicap spaces. What if a handicap person needed to use it?" She also said that it is so big you feel like someone can bust in on you easier.

I agree that "doing your business" is much more. . . pleasant, if you will, when in a more confind space (why this is, only the gods can say). However, I believe the reason many of us shy away from the handicap stall is the stigma that will suddenly attach to us as and follow us around like toilet paper stuck to our shoes. That stigma is: if I use the handicap stall, I will hereby be named deficient in some way to induce the title of "handicap" to me formally, and never will I regain my non-handicapness.

The same principle applies to visiting with a mental health professional/therapist. Why do people, who need some sort of help, (admit it honey, you need it just as much as the next guy) feel like they shouldn't because all of a sudden they are labeled as "crazy." And let's face it, nobody wants that label. People are afraid of what others will think about them, whether they just really have to urinate or whether they are slap-you-on-the-bum-and-not-moving depressed, they will avoid the labels and stigma associated.

We all have an involuntary brain cognitive function that judges a new person in less than 1 second and neatly places them into a preconceived category. It takes a lot to get that person out of one category and into another, so shoot, I say if you are gonna piss your pants walk into that handicap stall proudly, unzip and let 'er rip. If you are depressed or just need an objective view on your life, make an appointment to see me in a couple years. . .(please get help in the mean time).

Moral of the story: When you got to unload, do it wherever and by whatever means necessary.

4 comments:

Anna said...

hahahaha
Well... it just so happens that I LOVE to use the handicap stall. Infact I prefer it!! They are usually cleaner too because people shy away from them. So I would suggest that everybody keep away from them so that they are always clean and fresh for my own use. :)

ps- I tagged you. Check my blog.

Megan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Megan said...

Tell it sista! I'm with you Anna, I prefer it.

gurrbonzo said...

WTF. You try to use the word "vagina" whenever possible, don't you?