Down Memory Lane
Do you ever have a desire to revisit or recreate a memory? During the COVID-19 Pandemic I have had time to take a trip down memory lane. And one such wonderings of my mind may be a little strange. Lets face it – even I who have the memory find it strange to want to recreate it. My excuse is that it’s all because of the pandemic.
You see I spent a number of years living in Italy. Ahhh, beautiful country – yes it is. And amongst the beautiful things in Italy is the common practice of have a bidet in your bathroom. For those unfamiliar – a bidet (pronounced buh-day) is a basin used for cleaning yourself after using the bathroom. Bidets are common in Europe, Asia, and South America, so if you’ve ever traveled internationally, you’ve probably seen one. There are many kinds on the market these days from a free standing one that sits next to the toilet to a hand held (hose and nozzle) or as an easy to install attachment to the toilet itself. They can have heated water for added comfort. The benefits of a bidet are less use of toilet paper which also makes it more environmentally sound, more sanitary as they keep your hands cleaner and they help address hemorrhoid and genital issues. Okay, that’s the lesson on bidets.
So what does a bidet have anything to do with the pandemic? Good question. Remember back when everyone was hoarding toilet paper? I wasn’t one of them. But six weeks later, the shelves at my local stores were still devoid of toilet paper and so were my cupboards. I was in a panic as I rationed my toilet paper and dreamed of a bidet. Check out my blog at https://www.lorettaschoen.com/2020/general/28926/a-cave-mans-story/ for the gory details.
I loved growing up with a bidet. Not only was it sanitary for those large movements, but aided in keeping clean during that certain “time of the month”. But it was soooo much more! I would soak and wash my stockings in it or any other garment for that matter. If my feet were hurting, I could sit on the toilet, soaked my feet in the bidet with Epson salts while reading a Nancy Drew Mystery book.
Counting my 5 square allotment of toilet tissue for each toilet session turned my dream into a goal to achieve. I would never want for toilet paper again! And imagine my surprise when I found a plethora of different types of bidets on Amazon alone. While I did not have the room or the budget to install a free standing bidet like that in my memory (I won’t be soaking my feet or washing articles of clothing in it); I quickly found one that appealed to me both in simplicity, cost, ease of use and installation with good reviews. With next day delivery and Thad’s quick install, my bathroom now was a dream come true.
Can you recreate a memory? Perhaps not. But if you are willing to accept it may not be exactly as it was then; then you can enjoy the memory every time you use the next best thing.
Do you have or have you ever used a bidet? Did you find it helpful? Did any of your trips down memory lane turn out even better than you remembered? Please share and join in the conversation.
Thank you for reading my post. If you have found it encouraging please consider liking, commenting or sharing it. Feel free to even re-blog – may these words take flight!
I have additional insights I’d love to share with you found in the pages of my debut book: Surviving Medical Mayhem – Laughing When It Hurts. To order a copy or learn more go to my website at www.lorettaschoen.com
Blessings for Health & Wellness.