There are basic necessities in every
person’s life. Answering the call of
Mother Nature is one of those necessities.
I know that it is a call that I never ignore . . . I always answer. Yet, I have never given much thought to the
ascetics of where I answer that call.
Typically if there is a place where I can relief myself, I am
happy. A simple procedure of taking care
of business, a flush, and I am on my way.
I am a happy camper . . . or at least I thought I was.
I recently stumbled upon an article
about high tech commodes that are quite popular in Japan and parts of
Europe. These commodes are high tech . .
. they are filled with such luxurious amenities as heated seats, sound effects,
built-in bidets and lids that raise automatically. They come with MP3 players . . . . places to
plug in you iPod or iPhone . . . button galore.
Suddenly taking a break in the library of the house has turned into a
high tech adventure.
Now, I am of the generation that did
not have to use an outhouse to take care of business when Mother Nature called
. . . I avoided the duplicity of the Sears
and Roebuck catalog in which one could read before finishing up business
with the pages just read . . . I avoided the use of corn cobs as a replacement
for the Sears and Roebuck catalog . .
. and, splinters in the rear. Luckily I
grew up in the generation that had access to the porcelain throne with running
water and a functioning sewer system . . . the “thunder dome”. I have always been a “flushable” sort of
guy. It seems that the next generation
of toilets comes with an instruction manual . . . I am not sure that I am ready
for that. Heck, I just learned to master
the stereo system in my car!
According to the article I read,
nearly all the toilets in Japan are high tech.
The lid automatically lifts when a person enters the room . . . it has
sound effects (I am not sure if thunder is one of them, but I read that
applause is one of the sound effects . . . just what I need . . . applause when
I have a successful bowel movement!) . . . it will play music . . . it warms up
so that the buns do not get cold . . . even comes with a remote control. Shoot, I have not even figured out how to use
the remote control for my television and now there is a remote for the toilet!
And, the greatest feature of these new high tech toilets is that they are
environmentally kind . . . they can be adapted to be paper-free . . . they come
with a bidet.
Aw . . . the bidet! We westerners . . . us Americans . . . are
not accustomed to the bidet. A bidet is
a reverse spray that sprays once a person is done with the bathroom duty . . .
. sprays the rear end. Not just any
bidet, but bidets that can provide a variety of sprays to clean the rear. You decide, oscillating or pulsating . . .
whatever gets you through the night . . . is available. Just punch it in on the remote. Heck, I am still trying to figure out how to
turn on the darn remote! Personally, I
am not sure I am ready for anything to squirt my butt . . . oscillating or
pulsating . . . seems a little obscene to me.
I affectionately refer to the bathroom
in our house as the “library”. I have
found the bathroom to be one of the few places in the house where one can find solitarity. It is the place where I can escape, be away
from everyone else, and enjoy the time I have alone . . . an introvert’s
dream. In the “library” I have the
opportunity to read . . . contemplate . . . dream . . . and, take a dump. Now, I could get into a heated seat . . . especially
in the winter when the temperature outside is a negative thirty in Montana . .
. everyone appreciates warm buns. With a
high tech toilet I could add music to the mix . . . probably Internet access .
. . shoot! I probably would never come
out of the house library if I had options like that.
Of course, the people selling these
high tech commodes claim that this toilet will improve people’s lives . . .
make it easier. They even claim that in
the future the toilets will be able to give advice about diet and exercise. Just what I need . . . another wife!
The rumor is that these toilets are
slowly making their way into the United States.
They are beginning to show up more and more in states like California .
. . the hippy, liberal, communistic state . . . especially around
Hollywood. They are gaining in
popularity. Especially as they become
more complicated. They say that the
toilets in Japan can perform urinalysis from the deposits made . . . report them
to a person’s personal computer . . . and, get the ball rolling towards a
healthier life. If they could do the
annual income tax forms . . . well, I might consider it. Especially if they could put Turbo Tax out of business.
Now, I have to admit . . . I like what
technology has to offer; but, at the same time, I am not sure that I am ready
for technology to completely step into my life and regulate my answers to the
call of nature. I am not too sure I want
to have my deposit analyzed. My buns
have gotten used to the cold seat. I do
not need sound effects . . . I produce plenty of my own. I do not need music to sooth my soul . . .
especially since I have not figured out whether or not it is to mask sounds
made in the “thunder dome” or to relax people as they take care of
business. And, lastly . . . why in the
world would I want another remote control in my life!
So, I am going to pass on the high
tech toilet . . . as fascinating at it might be. I think that I have it pretty good with what
I have . . . solitude . . . plenty of reading material . . . and, a seat that
fits my equipment. As nice as it is that
I could listen to music that I have chosen to take care of business . . . I
make plenty of music while I am taking care of business, The porcelain throne that occupies the
homestead bathroom is good enough for me . . . . it beats the Sears and Roebuck catalog . . . beats
corn cobs. I don’t need a spray or
squirt of water at the end of the deed.
To be honest, I am pretty happy with my present arrangement as antiquated
as it might be. It gets the job done.
I appreciate the hard work that others
are doing to make my life easier . . . even when it comes to taking a
dump. Yet, at the same time, I am not
too sure I am ready to step . . . or should I say, sit down to . . . a high
tech toilet. Shoot! I just learned how to hang toilet paper
correctly! Plus, I do not need another
remote control in my life!
To answer the question of the article:
Are you ready for the toilet of the future?
My answer is . . . “NO!” At my
age I do not need people messing up one of the few bodily functions I appreciate. I do not need a toilet telling my current
health conditions. I do not need music
to get the job done. I do not need sound
effects. I do not need a warm seat . . .
or a toilet that lights up when I enter the room. I need none of this high tech stuff to get
the job done. Until the federal
government mandates high tech toilets, I am going to enjoy the freedom I know .
. . . besides, my body really does not care where I get rid of the bodily waste
. . . it only wants me to get rid of it.
Besides, I have a wife that will tell me everything I need to know.