A Clogged Toilet and Unexpected Friends
Today my toilet clogged.
I was on my out for a run to the grocery store, a new weekly practice I've picked up since moving to San Francisco. The weather was perfect, and I was all ready to go- but then the water swirled up higher than usual and it all drained out, leaving me with an almost empty toilet bowl. I've seen this happen before, but I've never had to unclog it myself. I was a little stressed.
After a frantic call to my dad, I realized I needed a plunger before I could do anything else. I went on my run and mulled over the problem from a distance. In some ways, I'm glad it happened today- a day that doesn't have much planned except studying and household tasks. I had time and energy to address the issue, but if this had happened late on a Wednesday night after spending the whole day in the hospital and with standardized patients, it could have been so much worse. It's these moments that make me value having a little bit of wiggle room time during each day and during the week. In college, I packed my schedule with endless meetings, events, classes, and tasks; when unexpected problems came up, I didn't really have the cognitive or emotional space to address them. Life is still busy and has lots of demands, different ones from before, but I've made an active effort to tuck away a little bit of space for surprises like today.
I also reflected on what it means to have my own toilet. After four years of sharing a bathroom with hallmates and roommates, it's been a joy to have my own bathroom. But with privileges like having a space of my own, there are responsibilities involved in taking care of it. Unclogging toilets is just one of them.
A final thought that made me smile was thinking about my clogged toilet might actually be a "friend" in disguise. Unclogging toilets is an important lesson that I haven't learned yet, and now I have the chance to try something new. As I neared the Stonestown Mall, I could feel myself get a little excited by the prospect of picking up a very important life skill.
At Trader Joe's, the cashier commented on my Planned Parenthood tee, and we had a great conversation about reproductive justice. She told me she was trying to go back to school for nursing, but that there had been a lot of unexpected challenges. I told her that she'd make a great nurse. I also told her not to compare herself to anyone else who's on their own path to nursing school, and that all of the experiences she's having now are going to help her connect with her future patients.
I walked next door to Target and bought a $6 plunger, and then called a Lyft to take me back. My driver was another delightful woman- a little grittier but still very reflective and kind. I explained my toilet situation and how it was brief moments like these (and that time I had to take TWO spiders out of my bathroom #help) that made me wish I had a boyfriend to do these things for me. But then the feeling passes and I know I'm not ready to be in a relationship yet. It was mostly a joke, but she had a great response. She said I shouldn't worry about being in a relationship until I meet someone who A) I'm genuinely excited to see again and again and again and B) I think "wow this thing I'm doing without him would be so much more fun if he was here with me". I loved that advice. We continued to chat about how we both love staying busy and taking care of people. The ride was over too soon, and I wish we could have talked more.
I carried my groceries up to our third floor, put them back in the fridge, and then took out my new plunger. I looked up a few relevant articles online and then called my dad again. I put him on speaker phone as I placed the plunger on my toilet drain and gently pumped. He was so supportive, and unclogging my toilet was actually much easier than I had anticipated. Cautiously, I flushed to make sure my toilet had returned. I breathed a sigh of relief, and suddenly felt a rush of pride. I was able to FIX my OWN TOILET on my OWN, and I managed to stay calm and even have a little bit of fun while doing so.
xoxo,
Juhi
I was on my out for a run to the grocery store, a new weekly practice I've picked up since moving to San Francisco. The weather was perfect, and I was all ready to go- but then the water swirled up higher than usual and it all drained out, leaving me with an almost empty toilet bowl. I've seen this happen before, but I've never had to unclog it myself. I was a little stressed.
After a frantic call to my dad, I realized I needed a plunger before I could do anything else. I went on my run and mulled over the problem from a distance. In some ways, I'm glad it happened today- a day that doesn't have much planned except studying and household tasks. I had time and energy to address the issue, but if this had happened late on a Wednesday night after spending the whole day in the hospital and with standardized patients, it could have been so much worse. It's these moments that make me value having a little bit of wiggle room time during each day and during the week. In college, I packed my schedule with endless meetings, events, classes, and tasks; when unexpected problems came up, I didn't really have the cognitive or emotional space to address them. Life is still busy and has lots of demands, different ones from before, but I've made an active effort to tuck away a little bit of space for surprises like today.
I also reflected on what it means to have my own toilet. After four years of sharing a bathroom with hallmates and roommates, it's been a joy to have my own bathroom. But with privileges like having a space of my own, there are responsibilities involved in taking care of it. Unclogging toilets is just one of them.
A final thought that made me smile was thinking about my clogged toilet might actually be a "friend" in disguise. Unclogging toilets is an important lesson that I haven't learned yet, and now I have the chance to try something new. As I neared the Stonestown Mall, I could feel myself get a little excited by the prospect of picking up a very important life skill.
At Trader Joe's, the cashier commented on my Planned Parenthood tee, and we had a great conversation about reproductive justice. She told me she was trying to go back to school for nursing, but that there had been a lot of unexpected challenges. I told her that she'd make a great nurse. I also told her not to compare herself to anyone else who's on their own path to nursing school, and that all of the experiences she's having now are going to help her connect with her future patients.
I walked next door to Target and bought a $6 plunger, and then called a Lyft to take me back. My driver was another delightful woman- a little grittier but still very reflective and kind. I explained my toilet situation and how it was brief moments like these (and that time I had to take TWO spiders out of my bathroom #help) that made me wish I had a boyfriend to do these things for me. But then the feeling passes and I know I'm not ready to be in a relationship yet. It was mostly a joke, but she had a great response. She said I shouldn't worry about being in a relationship until I meet someone who A) I'm genuinely excited to see again and again and again and B) I think "wow this thing I'm doing without him would be so much more fun if he was here with me". I loved that advice. We continued to chat about how we both love staying busy and taking care of people. The ride was over too soon, and I wish we could have talked more.
I carried my groceries up to our third floor, put them back in the fridge, and then took out my new plunger. I looked up a few relevant articles online and then called my dad again. I put him on speaker phone as I placed the plunger on my toilet drain and gently pumped. He was so supportive, and unclogging my toilet was actually much easier than I had anticipated. Cautiously, I flushed to make sure my toilet had returned. I breathed a sigh of relief, and suddenly felt a rush of pride. I was able to FIX my OWN TOILET on my OWN, and I managed to stay calm and even have a little bit of fun while doing so.
An awful surprise turned into a really neat moment. Energized, I cleaned my entire bathroom- moved everything off my counter to wipe down even the littlest dust particles, rubbed the smudges off my mirror, scrubbed down my sink, toilet, and shower before vacuuming the dust (and hair) off my floor. I used to get annoyed when mom would make me clean my bathroom as a kid, but now I'm grateful she instilled in me a drive for excellence in all of my endeavors, even (especially) the domestic ones. Making my bathroom sparkle took literally twelve minutes (less than four songs on my favorite Sptofiy playlist), and it felt great. I flushed my toilet again just for fun, and it worked fabulously.
I'm going to appreciate my toilet every time it flushes seamlessly now, and when it doesn't, I know how I might be able to fix it. If not, it's a chance to learn something new!
xoxo,
Juhi
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