Reflections – September 10, 2021

What I noticed this morning …

As I took my morning shower,

I had to fiddle with the faucet

to get the right water flow and temperature

gratitude struck me as the warm water

massaged an achy neck

and I wondered

“What percentage of the world population can take a warm shower in their own home?”

*

Curious, I googled the question and found an interesting list of responses. I think it’s worth sharing the first 9 to illustrate something important – at least it’s how goggle’s search engine assesses my interests. I added links for each entry below in case anyone is interested in some of these topics.

  1. Which Country Showers the Most – https://www.mirashowers.co.uk/blog/trends/which-country-showers-the-most/
  2. 60 percent of the world population still without toilets – https://slate.com/technology/2013/02/60-percent-of-the-world-population-still-without-toilets.html
  3. Bathing Habits of the World – Soakology – https://www.soakology.co.uk/blog/bathing-habits-of-the-world/
  4. How Often People in Various Countries Shower – The Atlantic – https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/how-often-people-in-various-countries-shower/385470/
  5. The peculiar bathroom habits of Westerners – BBC News – https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191004-the-peculiar-bathroom-habits-of-westerners
  6. Global WASH Fast Facts/Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene – https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html
  7. See Fewer People. Take Fewer Showers – The New York Times – https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/health/shower-bathing-pandemic.html
  8. Population and environment: a global challenge – Curious – https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/population-environment
  9. 2.1 billion people lack safe drinking water at home, more than … – https://www.who.int/news/item/12-07-2017-2-1-billion-people-lack-safe-drinking-water-at-home-more-than-twice-as-many-lack-safe-sanitation

This list was surprising to me. I don’t think goggle’s search engine views me as a serious scholar even though I have been online a lot recently looking for research articles as I graded student papers and updated course materials for the undergraduate research course I teach.

I’m curious to know how google would respond to you if you ask this question. I hope you will try and let me know what you find, although it may take some time for me to respond back to you. The first class meets tomorrow via Zoom! A busy semester awaits as the students in my class craft a research proposal and actually conduct a little study. Their studies will need to be done remotely to keep them safe given the current COVID context.

Something else I noticed today:

reflection about privilege september 10 2021

One of the last blooms, a Coneflower or Echinacea, a North American native that is fairly deer and drought resistant

15 thoughts on “Reflections – September 10, 2021”

  1. Beautiful flower! Cold showers don’t just make me shiver, they make me cry. But my Colombian friend who grew up without hot water said he can’t understand how Americans can possibly feel clean after showering in water the temperature of urine.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. Hi Carol, yes we have allot to be grateful for. Thanks for the reminder. It reminds me of wisdom from our old bus driver from when I was a kid. (Paraphrasing) Our citizens are like a pack of hungry dogs that are too busy barking to stop and see the bowl of food in front of them.
    Have a wonderful weekend my friend✌️

    Liked by 2 people

  4. 60% of the world without toilets and billions lacking clean drinking water at home were the two titles that made me the saddest.
    I didn’t read the Peculiar Bathroom Habits of Westerners, but I can only imagine it involves taking showers every day and being excessively sanitized.
    Good luck with the start of classes, btw. A teacher in the sixth grade was the person who encouraged me to write. 40 years later. Haven’t forgotten her. 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ah, yes, Stacey, those were the two links that reflected the answers that I was looking for. Thank you for sharing your insights about the lasting influence teachers can have on our lives. I have quite a few that have had a lasting influence on my life. 💜

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  5. Haha. The Peculiar habits article was more about the lack of bidets in the West and obsession with toilet paper. Also squatting vs. sitting, haha. Both of the other things make more sense to me: some kind of water implement (bidet) instead of paper, and squatting instead of sitting.
    They did mention over-showering in the West, so I wasn’t completely wrong!
    But I was fascinated to see that Ghanaians, Filipinos, Colombians and Australians bathed several times a day, which makes sense, due to hot weather, but evidently Brazilians also bathe many times a day, even during the winter.
    But, of course, the accessibility of water dictates all activity, doesn’t it?
    We are very lucky, those of us who don’t have to worry about that. (Yet).
    Thanks for the interesting articles. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much for reading and reporting on this article, Stacey. I have to admit I didn’t read it and appreciate your overview and thoughts and for the crucial observations you shared about the privileges we often take for granted. 💜

      Like

    1. Thank you so much for sharing this post on your blog, Pam. Students often wonder why we focus on the links between access to safe water and community health when we begin the semester. I am grateful to note that most learn to appreciate the importance over time. 💜

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