My Personal Distraction

After many failed attempts, we were finally able to plan a weekend camping trip to Kartchner Caverns. We toured the famous cavern, hiked along the trails, and chased lizards. On the last night, we found ourselves with a full grey water tank. I'm not pointing any fingers, but apparently, those of us over six-feet tall use a lot of water while showering. Alas, I digress. The point is, we found ourselves needing to use the public showers.
So, there Anna Cate and I are, walking through the campsite, towels folded neatly in our arms, carrying our bag of pajamas, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes, Anna Cate chatting away about long-tailed lizards. If you know me, you realize that this is not the scenario I want to find myself in. While Anna Cate is happily skipping along, I am trying to decide what to think about so that my mind is not totally overwhelmed with the thought of all those germs we are about to encounter. But, I did not stop to consider who it was that I was taking along on this adventure.

We enter the bathroom and the questions begin. "Where are we going to shower?...Oh, where is my shampoo?...Will the water be warm?...Is anyone going to see my panties?...Are we going to take a shower together?...Oh, we can't do that now that I am six, right?...Why do I need to keep my flip flops on?...What is fungus?...What happens if fungus gets on my feet?...Will I need to go to the doctor?...Could someone die if they get fungus on them?...What does it feel like to have fungus on you?...Is the shampoo all out of my hair?...Yeah, I already washed my body."

Whew. Now my turn.

"Can I sit on this bench?...What if I accidentally drop my flip flops?...Um, Mom, I think they closed us in here...Oh, you're right. When I kind of opened the door, the lights came back on...It's kind of like they are coming on just for us, isn't it?...You didn't think of that, did you?...My pants are on, can I sit on the bench now?...What if someone pushed me and I fell and touched my hands to the floor, would I get fungus then?...Will you bend down? My flip flops fell...Mom, I'm all dressed, can I go out?...Are we going to brush our teeth here?...hee-hee, I just peeked at you...Does it matter that our flip flops are wet?"

At this point, I realize we are both clean and I didn't once have to think about the germs...