The Bathroom Proximity Factor

I pee a lot. I mean A LOT, I always have. Since I was a kid, I remember having to go to the bathroom all the time. So much so that it can become quite an annoyance. Pretty much the longest I ever go without going to the bathroom is about two hours. Actually, I don't know why I said about . . . it's exactly two hours, like clock work. Unless I've had a lot to drink, or there's other extenuating circumstances, then its like every hour and a half . . . or every hour . . . or ever 17 minutes, whatever. The point is, I have to pee a lot, its a much larger part of my life than I'd like to admit.

With that being said, the availability of a bathroom is extremely important to me. No one wants to pee there pants, so if you're someone who has to go pee a lot, like myself, bathroom availability becomes a big deal. I remember as a kid not liking to ride in the car for very long because you could pretty much bet the farm on the fact that I'd have to pee sometime during the trip. And when I say I didn't like being in the car very long, I don't mean riding a few hours to Grandma's house, I mean riding 15 minutes to see my dad at work. It got to the point that we had to allow extra time for my inevitable bathroom break and I had developed a list of approved gas stations whose bathrooms were nice enough that I didn't fear catching some sort of disease by using them. Gas stations with bathrooms on the outside of the building need not apply. (For the record, there's a gas station on the corner of 120th and Center whose bathroom was just immaculate. It even had framed pictures of puppies on the wall so it felt like you were peeing at home, however its changed ownership since I've last been there, so I can't currently vouch for its condition.)

However, as my need to frequent the restroom didn't diminish as I grew older, neither did the role of what I came to call The Bathroom Proximity Factor in my life. I began to realize that the ease of which I could locate and use a bathroom heavily influenced how much I enjoyed whatever activity I was taking part of. Road trips used to be torture until I learned to dehydrate myself for a couple days before the scheduled departure. Playing basketball in college was great because I was never away from the locker room for more than about 40 minutes at a time, so no problem there.

The Bathroom Proximity Factor even contributes largely into whether or not I like a job. Apparently its frowned upon to use the bathroom in the person's house you're working on if you're in the landscaping or house painting business. Needless to say those jobs didn't last very long and I'd be lying if I said I didn't pee under a few decks before deciding there had to be something better out there for me. Working from home seemed like a natural option until I realized no one would pay for anything I did at my house which is namely, eat, sleep and watch television. But finally I found Lens Crafters where I work as a Lab Technician (I make glasses). The restroom is right behind the lab, so its nice and close, and I can take bathroom breaks whenever I find them necessary. Is The Bathroom Proximity Factor the only reason I like working at Lens Crafters? No, but lets be honest, its a lot bigger reason than it should be.