Rinse

I’ve read multiple well-researched studies on the benefits of cold showers. They are from reliable sources, which I trust. I am certain there are health benefits from a cold shower. Yet, I do not care. Not even a little. I want a toasty shower every time.

We have four dogs. I put a secondary hose in the shower to ease the burden of bathing them. It has a convenient sprayer to rinse the dogs thoroughly.

Once a month, some wonderful people come through and deep clean my house. They have found this sprayer to be useful in rinsing out the shower after cleaning it.

Every month, the morning after they leave, I fire up my morning shower. It aggressively sprays the shower wall because the rinsing hose was left switched on. This frustration is too petty to mention to our helpers, who do a wonderful job. The occurrence happens too infrequently to remember to correct it myself.

One day, the hose switch was left open, but this time it was hung backward. I turned on the shower and was doused in cold water. I couldn’t get upset. I chose not to say anything. I hadn’t learned my lesson the dozens of times before. I should note after the arctic blast, I have never forgotten again.

Ignoring small grievances is hard. Personal change is hard. I shouldn’t get upset about the things I don’t address. Sometimes, it takes a blast of cold water to the face to finally change.

Am I annoyed by frustrations within my control? Can I accept that change is hard? If a blast of water will change things, can I manufacture one?

Be curious, be kind, be whole, do good things.