Everybody has their weird things. Some people hate ketchup. Some people keep up with 35 television shows. I take a bath every day. Now you know.
I guess most people transition to showers when they're four or five, but I never had any interest in making that leap. There's something about standing through the most relaxing part of the day that's extremely offputting to me.
I'm not secretive about my baths, but people are consistently shocked when they hear about the habit. Suffice it to say, I get a lot of grief for what I think is a pretty inocuous routine.
People tend to raise three main concerns. The first is that taking baths wastes water. I solved this problem a long time ago, though, by taking a seven minute shower with my drain plugged and then filling the bath to that height each time. It's plenty of water.
The second comment is that baths take too long. All I can say is that there are short baths and long baths. I don't bust out the bubbles and candles every morning. That would be weird. But, sure. I guess a short bath is longer than a short shower. To me it's worth it, but point taken.
The third concern is the hardest to answer and definitely the most harsh. People will look me right in the eye and say, "You're just sitting in your own filth."
So yeah. Not quite sure how to deal with that one. My only response is that baths were the go-to hygiene solutions for thousands of years until running water came in and stole the show. Also, it just doesn't bother me. I can honestly say that I have never thought about that while sitting in the tub. And I do use soap, in case that wasn't clear.
Enough from the haters, though. Baths are awesome because they're a good time to do some light reading, apply a conditioning hair mask without having to stand around or just chill out. One of my biggest problems with showers is that the constant stream makes it hard for me to think. And I do some of my most insightful thinking in the bath.
To be fair, I do take multitasking in the bath to a questionable level. Sometimes I watch T.V. on my computer (occasionally causing water damage), and I frequently talk on the phone. People are the most creeped out by that last part, but I think that by calling someone you inheretly accept the risk that they may be naked on the other end. People wouldn't even know that I was in the bath if it weren't so frickin' echoey in there.
Baths are what get me going in the morning. They ease me into the day, especially if I have to wake up extra early. There's something about the steam and the quiet that makes any extra time and effort totally worth it. If I didn't know better, I would suggest that you try switching to baths for awhile, but I know that the shower crowd can get super defensive. So instead I'm just going to ask everyone to back off. Open your minds and show some tolerance. Some of us are trying to bathe in peace over here.
