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About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.
A prize-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize.
Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

TELL ME MORE

Who gives a shit for World Toilet Day?

19/11/2013

11 Comments

 
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I hope you don’t mind me asking, but have you been to the toilet today? No,
I’m not interested in the condition of your bowels, or whether you put the seat down or washed your hands afterwards, but did you thank the toilet for the service it provided?

No, this isn't another post about pseudo-hallucinations, it’s rather that I’d hate for you to miss out on the World Toilet Day celebrations. Because I’m assuming that, like me, you have a lot to be thankful for in that regard.

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I’m thankful that, unlike a third of women worldwide, I don’t have to wander the
streets in the dead of night in search of somewhere safe to empty my bladder.
I’m grateful that my school had toilet and washing facilities, so that I didn’t have to stay at home and jeopardise my education when I began to menstruate.
That I’m not one of the 1.1 billion people around the world who has to shit outside.

I might still grumble when it’s my turn to push the toilet brush down the U bend, but I’m glad that my lifestyle is more akin to Sheena’s than Esme’s in my flash fiction story,
Bathroom Suite. That, not only do I have a functioning toilet in my house, I’ve got a spare one for when the main one is busy, and they both sit in rooms that are attractive on the eye. But I hope I’m not as blinkered as Sheena, that I’m doing my humble bit to support those working to bring safe sanitation to all.

For more information on these matters, click on either of the logos. Or listen to this extract from Woman’s Hour, for a reminder of the
history of the flushing toilet we’re so lucky to have in the West. Oh, and if you prefer, you can read my story in Hungarian.

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Or take the challenge and guess the location of these fabulous toilet facilities – or perhaps you can better it with a favourite of your own.  Whatever your toilet-related responses, I promise I won't neglect to say thank you.

Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
11 Comments
Linda link
20/11/2013 10:14:40 am

Just read Bathroom Suite. Yes, we do need to be reminded about the 'ordinary' things we take so much for granted in this country.

Reply
Annecdotist
21/11/2013 01:21:44 am

Thank you, Linda. After following all the marvellous creative, informative and amusing tweets on Tuesday, I'm even more convinced that safe sanitation is THE most important issue, especially for women and girls. Sadly a lot of people are still too squeamish to think about toilets – I wonder if this cute video would change things:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di_ugvNXjgs
BTW – I called in your blog but unfortunately can't figure how to leave a comment with Google+ but very impressed with your artwork.
All the best, Anne

Reply
Linda link
22/11/2013 12:01:21 pm

Thanks for the video - very clever!
Thanks for visiting my blog, I don't know why you couldn't comment on it. If you haven't got an ordinary Google account you can log in with an openID - more info here: http://openid.net/get-an-openid/
I'd like to allow anyone to comment without the need for passwords etc. but I've had to disable anonymous comments as that just seems to attract lots of weird spam messages!

Reply
Linda link
23/11/2013 06:11:07 am

Sorry! When I posted the above comment I had a message saying there was an error and to try again. So I did - several times!

Reply
Annecdotist
23/11/2013 11:21:40 am

Sorry did that to you, Linda. I've deleted the duplicates and hope it does put you off commenting in the future.

Reply
Charli Mills link
9/4/2014 12:31:29 am

Growing up, I experienced outdoor potties. In the summer, my dad logged in rugged, remote places and he'd build a "logging camp" complete with a hole dug into the ground and a box placed over the hole. The box had a hole complete with toilet seat screwed down upon it. A tin coffee can held toilet paper and we had an open-air privy. It makes me grateful for indoor potty plumbing because I know the fear of having to go outside in the dark to relieve a nightime bladder. But nothing compared to other places, or being a girl like the one in "Bathroom Suite." Brilliant short-story!

Reply
Annecdotist
9/4/2014 09:00:34 am

I'm impressed with your father's skill at making an outside toilet. Something we might all need after the climate change meltdown. And I really appreciate you reading my short story. Yes, some people have it tough.

Reply
Jessa Menzen link
12/4/2014 07:55:56 pm

Toilets are invisible for us people that have this since we were young but as soon as you watch videos of kids dying from cholera or diarrhea, you can surely change your mind right away. Bill gates foundation sponsored the reinvent the toilet and some of it is a paperless, waterless toilet which is The Nano Membrane Toilet .. brilliant minds gather together for a great cause ... save the future kids...

Reply
Annecdotist
13/4/2014 01:11:41 am

TY, Jessa, good to see people taking this seriously. Yes, the Bill Gates Foundation is doing great work in this area

Reply
sarah link
15/11/2014 11:00:14 am

This is a fantastic post. I love your short story, Bathroom Suite. Thank you for writing this.

Reply
Annecdotist
16/11/2014 03:26:51 am

Thanks for coming, Sarah and glad you liked my story. I'll be dumping another look at toilets on my followers for World Toilet Day 2014 in a few days time.

Reply



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