Inspiration for the structure of this piece pulled from, “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie,” – by Laura Joffe Numeroff
If you want to leave the house, then you’ll need to take a water bottle.
But if you want to take a water bottle, you must be sure that one is clean.
If you want to leave the house and you need to take a water bottle and you hope that one is clean, but it’s not… well then, you’ll have to wash the water bottle!
But if you want to leave the house and you need to wash the water bottle and you have a cold sore?
Well then, the germs must be everywhere! So, you can wash the water bottle but only use one hand. The other must stay clean.
“But how will I turn the handles of the faucet?” Says I.
“Use the edge of your wrist or the crook of your elbow!” Says I as well.
“But if one hand is holding the dirty bottle and the other is using the scrub… how will you pick up the container of soap?”
“Well then, I’ll have to use both hands and wash up later…”
So now you’re cleaning up your water bottle and both your hands are dirty and everything is fine, but then…
“Will you remember to wash the handles of the sink?”
“Yes, of course.”
“And the handle on the soap bottle?”
“Yes, that too.”
“And your hands afterwards?”
“Three times, always up to the elbow.”
Only now the sun has sunken, and you’ve yet to leave the house.
“But, I thought it was only 3:00 pm!” says I.
“It was…”
– In loving dedication to anyone suffering with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.