I’m not a fan of bath mats. I view throw rugs of any kind as potential disasters. As we age we don’t always pick up our feet when we walk. Some of us tend to shuffle. That was my dad.
Several years ago, when my mom was living alone in her apartment, she became ill and we invited a caregiver in for a few weeks. A “safety assessment” of Mom’s condo was completed, and the first things to go were bath mats and throw rugs.
No one, no matter how young or old, wants to trip and fall. As you age falls lead to broken hips, broken hips to bed rest, bed rest to pneumonia, pneumonia to the great unknown.
Some use mats near the toilet. I used to think toilet mats were intended as decorations. It wasn’t until a few years ago I began to understand that those mats had a dual purpose – to beautify and absorb water. Some guys don’t have an accurate aim when they urinate. The mat absorbs the errant shots. There’s also the issue of stream strength. Some streams are so powerful that splashing occurs. The mat can catch the splash.
Dribbling is the other end of the spectrum. As we age, streams diminish in intensity and ultimately lead to dribbling. I’ve been in some public men’s rooms where it looked like no one used the urinals. It looked like the guys just peed on the floor. No number of mats would be helpful in that situation.
I have a friend that struck a deal with his wife over fifty years ago. She asked only one thing of him. “Please sit whenever you use our toilet.” Sitting avoids the entire splashing vs. dribbling conundrum. He complied and continues to do so. I’m considering altering my habits as well.
A half dozen years ago, Ruth and I were visiting our son, Michael, and his wife, Kate, in California. I had recently entered my dribbling years and had taken steps to improve my bathroom habits by attempting to – for lack of a better term – straddle the toilet. Straddling helps insure that any dribbles fall into the commode.
When I ventured into the guest bathroom I took note of a new bathmat that Kate had recently purchased. It was made of wood and was more of a platform than a mat. It stood about an inch to an inch and a half high with a series of crisscrossed wooden rails that I believe were intended to drain the water away after you stepped on it. Where the water went after a successful drain is still a mystery to me. I believe that she may have made the purchase to impress her decorative minded mother-in-law. It was pretty, but I didn’t really comprehend its function.
In any case, its presence required me to be very cognizant of my feet when I straddled the toilet. The height of the mat created a straddling challenge. One false moved could lead to disaster.
I successfully maneuvered the room during our first day. I stepped very carefully and made several dribble free trips.
The following morning I decided to opt out of taking a shower as I still couldn’t understand how the whole wooden shower mat worked. I washed, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and readied myself for the day. It was early morning, and not everyone had risen.
I needed to use the toilet before venturing out, and let my guard down for a single moment. It was a fraction of a second – a blink of an eye – one false move. I tripped. The mat caught the side of my shoe and turned me butt faced towards the tub. I stumbled backward, caught my two calves on the tub and fell. Instinctively, I thrust my arms out to the side to catch my fall. My tumble into the tub was cushioned a bit when my arms caught the shower curtain. My weight brought the curtain and the shower rod down on top of me. The rod folded like a cheap suit.
Kate heard everything and came running to make sure I was alright. I was. She found me seated in the tub wrapped like a taco in the curtain and shower rod. My back was against the side wall and my feet pointed up out of the tub. The only thing broken was the rod and my pride. We were able to laugh at my misfortune.
She gathered the bent rod and headed to the hardware store before everyone was ready to start the day. We replaced the rod, removed the wooden mat, and the remainder of our visit went off without a hitch. I believe the mat was ultimately returned to the store.
Mike and Kate are heading to our house next Saturday. We’re looking forward to their visit. There will be no mats of any kind when they arrive.