Simple Solutions to Stupid Problems

The Mercy Corps office is terrifically overcrowded. I share a 100 square foot room with two other people, for example. This office opens directly into two other offices — not a hallway. So there’s not a lot of space, real or psychological, for things like private personal phone conversations. With a cel phone, of course, I can step outside into the parking lot, which is usually where I conduct such conversations. But just now I hit upon a neat solution that allows me to have a private personal phone conversation indoors.

The bathroom.

I have never had a cel phone conversation in a bathroom. It never occurred to me to do so. But just now now, I mean like 5 minutes ago, I was, y’know, eliminating, and my phone rang. Again, this was a novel circumstance for me. Unthinkingly, I answered. And before I knew it, I was having a conversation.

I’m sure lots of other people have done this and it’s likely the subject of more than a few stand-up comedy routines. But my brain apparently has a pretty tall wall between the part that plans phone conversations, and the part that plans, y’know, eliminations. Those parts of my brain, prior to about 5 minutes ago, were entirely unaware of each others’ existences.

I want to issue a public apology to the person I was just talking to on the phone. Just now, like 5 minutes ago. While we were talking, I was in the bathroom, y’know, eliminating.