Bladder Having A Mind Of Its Own

Teenage years are the most difficult, confusing time of our lives. I call these years "scrape your knees" years because you will fall more than you stand. This time is crucial in learning how to navigate becoming a young adult. We've all drove our parents to insanity, and we've all had made bone head decisions. At the age of 16, I've made the dumbest split-second decision; it was also the day I realized that my bladder had a mind of its own. Looking back on my teenage year's anxiety has always been present in my life. I've never written or read the word anxiety, so my day-to-day experience seemed normal if I had gotten the proper treatment, maybe I wouldn't have suffered from anxiety as an adult. I played things "safe" I always looked both ways before I crossed the street, I was never disrespectful in front of my parents, and I always thought about my consequences of every action that I take.

When I was younger, I remember my family and I would always take a trip to Carl's Jr. After a family fun Saturday sometimes, and we would stop by Carl's Jr for a quick pick me up to continue with the rest of our day. I feel like I've been to every Carl's Jr location in San Diego during my childhood. No matter the area, all Carl's Jr's are designed the same. To the left, you would find the woman's restroom, and to the right, the men's. After riding around for three hours, my bladder could no longer take the pressure, so before I even looked at the menu, I had to relieve myself.

Without looking, I automatically went to the restroom on the right; why? Because they all share the exact blueprint. I went inside the stall, closed the door, relieved myself, flushed, and opened the bathroom stall. As I opened the stall, the sink was to my left, and I see a young boy washing his hands. I didn't think anything of it because mothers always would bring their young sons inside the woman's restrooms; as I looked around, I didn't see the mother, and the kid looked seven or eight years old. As I looked to my right, I witnessed three urinals; at that moment, I asked myself, "why are there urinals in the woman's bathroom?" I quickly washed my hands and dried them, and as I exited, I turned around to make sure I was in the right one and rest assured the sign said, men.

To right my wrong, I quickly went inside the woman's restroom to be sure that people saw me exiting out the right door. I entered and rewashed my hands and left. As I exited the woman's room, I ran into my mom and said, "did you see your sister?" I said, "no," my mom said, "she should be in there with you." I then went back into the restroom and noticed that my sister's feet were dangling under the stale. I asked if she was ok, but then she said, "where we're you? I looked in here, and I didn't see you." I casually played it off and said, "I was in here the whole time. I'm washing my hands now." We both left without anyone ever knowing what happened.

After that embarrassing mistake, I don't remember finishing my food that day. I just felt disgusted and disappointed in myself for not being "sharp" I told myself several times that I'm better than this. My mind filled with negative self-talk and allowed a vulnerable moment to be one of the biggest mistakes of my life. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I would mention and tell the story. I don't feel so bad about it now because it was an honest mistake, but I called myself a big idiot who doesn't deserve to graduate high school. That moment haunted me for a couple of years, and for the longest time, I didn't want to use public restrooms because that was a mistake that I never wanted to happen.

The Lesson:

We've all heard the cliché saying before, but it has been a lifesaver "Reading IS fundamental." I make sure to read everything, even on familiar territory. I hope you all take the time to read the bathroom signs.

Quick Story: Months ago, I used Costco's restroom, and as I exited the stall, I saw a man washing his hands. I quickly said, "oh no, not this sh*t again." I just stared at him as he was washing his hands. When he left, he dried his hands and looked at the bathroom sign, and it clearly said Women's. He ran like the Marvel character Flash. After that, I no longer felt embarrassed.

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