There is one incident from our childhood that my brothers and I always remember.  My sister was too young but it’s become a sort of interesting aspect of our memories.

There was a point when my parents could no longer afford a home.  We either sold off or packed up all of our belongings.

My parents did own a business and in the business site, there was a large bay (to pull in cars and trucks – my parents owned an automotive glass business).  Above the office was a large space where my dad had built a loft to hold various things that weren’t used daily and he had built stairs up to the loft.

That loft became our home.

There weren’t any rooms, just a wide open space.  There wasn’t any privacy.  The business only had a toilet and sink so personal hygiene was an issue.

My mom bought a brand new aluminum garbage can.  It was the type we all used to have before sanitation departments started giving us their cans to use for garbage.

My mom would fill that garbage can with warm water and in we would plop.  One after another, we would take baths in that can.

I think back on it now and I know she was doing all she could do just to make us clean and healthy and safe…and she made it fun for us, as kids.  It was an adventure.

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A few years ago I was dating a man and he took me to his parents house in another country.  At their house, you didn’t waste water.  So, when someone took a bath, they left the water for the next person.

I think it was too reminiscent of my times in that garbage can.  I couldn’t bear to share my bath water with someone else.  It really makes my skin crawl.

I would ALWAYS be the first one in that bath.  I never washed in someone else’s water. I couldn’t do it.  I would rather go without.