It's odd right...and probably not a great way to start a conversation with your best girlfriend, your dentist or child's guidance counselor, is it?
Don't answer. I already know.
It's just that when I'm in the shower and the water is running, drowning out the sounds of the cell phone, the email pings, the needy kids ~ the noise of daily life ~ I can actually think.
Behind that glass door, I feel like Superman. I am in my own Fortress of Solitude, and for a brief period of time each day, I am alone with my thoughts. I can hear myself and my mind is sharp.
Once inside that warm and steamy cubicle, my brain is on fire. I solve problems and make plans. The school papers I am supposed to sign, the friends' birthdays on the horizon, the errands and calls that I must complete, I can suddenly remember them all.
I am organized and creative, not to mention clean.
I have written entire pieces while shampooing and conditioning my hair, articles, posts, stories for my book. The words just seem to flow out of me as effortlessly as the water drips out of the rainfall head ~ eloquent and award winning prose, worthy of mass market publication...maybe even a Pulitzer.
In the shower, my powers are great.
Once outside the subway tiled walls, however, I call my kids by my dead cat's name and can't seem to find my car keys.
Oh and that blog post or book chapter that I had composed just moments before?
Gone.
Evaporated like the steam that once filled the room. I can't remember even one wet word.
Drying off is a frustrating affair.
Without the running water to keep everything else at bay, all sorts of useless noise fills my head and I am mortal again.
I've thought about showering more than once a day, but I can't be sure the magic will stick. I'm afraid I'll just end up all pruney.
And there's nothing super about that.
Am I the only one who does this? Do you think in the shower?
Here are a few more posts like this one:
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Hi Kim, what you described as your shower thinking is my garden thinking--the clarity, the inspiration and focus! Have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteHands in the dirt..meditative for sure! :)
DeleteLOLOL!
ReplyDeletei needed this wonderful wit today. my site was hacked and i may lose all the posts.
it should be up again in 24 to 48 hours. and i'll know then.
at least it didn't infect my computer! and i'm not contagious. so there are ...
what do you call them? something shiny in all the dark clouds? silver linings!
and
you need a tape recorder! i don't even know if they still make them now. probably not.
you probably talk into some tiny device that is water proof and can get signals from cleveland if necessary. should you ever want to include cleveland in your musings.
worth checking into though! XO♥
Oh Tammy, not fun. I have been there and it's infuriating. I miss your posts and hope you are back up and running soon!!
DeleteI do the same thing...I can solved the world's problems while I am in the shower! ;)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful, Debbie? Maybe that's what the world's leaders need...a good long shower!! ;)
DeleteYes I do love the quiet where I can think about things that I need to do that in the shower, plus getting clean. Nice post today Kim! Enjoy your showers and weekend! Lol.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Thanks Julie! I am getting ready for one, right now! ;)
DeleteWell, Kim, it will come as no surprise that I do the same. Well...I don't actually write the chapters in my head, but I do think alot. And then it's gone.
ReplyDeleteWhat book are you writing??
I am still hashing it all out Nancy! When I figure it out, I'll certainly share!
DeleteI definitely think like that in the shower and have been known to jump out with barely the towel around me to write it all down!! The biggest thing that pops in my head is something I have to write on the grocery list! My daughter has a pad and pen by her bed to jot random thoughts....maybe we should try that by the shower!
ReplyDeleteMaybe that will be my next crafty DIY AnnMarie...a shower notepad or chalkboard for those moments!
DeleteFunny!! I don't think when I am in the shower - had never thought about it before. My mind goes crazy when I lay down to go to sleep. Just can't turn it off.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
Judy
By the time the day is done, I usually fall right off to sleep, Judy. I am tired, but if I wake up in the middle of the night, then my mind goes crazy…and the older I get the more that seems to happen. Grrr. ;)
DeleteClawfoot bathtub devotee here. So, while relaxing, it doesn't catapult my brain into the brilliant zone. But late at night? After everyone is in bed? No, pinging, beeping, talking, ringing, whining......oh, wait, the whining was me. Anyway, when all is still and quiet in the deepest, darkest heart of the night, THAT'S when the brilliance in my brain explodes and, as I drift off, the secrets of the universe revel themselves to me and I know EVERYTHING! Now, if I could just remember what they were when I wake up in the morning, lol!
ReplyDeleteOh Kim, your tub sounds fabulous...and the nighttime stuff? Yup! Me too. I have written music in my almost sleepy state. Poof. All gone in the morning! Along with my musical talents! ;)
DeleteI feel the same way, Kim and I also feel like I'm doing something good for myself just by relaxing and feeling like I'm finally taking care of myself.
ReplyDeleteNow...you are writing a book? Fantastic!!! Have you shared this on your blog yet?
Jsne
I am writing a book...it's taking me forever, because I don't always take time for me. Now, if I could actually write it in the shower, it would've been done ages ago! I think I may have mentioned it fleetingly on the blog. Right now it's pie in the sky. When it starts to take shape, I'll share more!
DeleteMy "shower thinking" happens when I am alone in the car . . .
ReplyDeleteI solve everything . . .
Creating in my gardens though is where I pour out my soul . . .
My mind races with ideas, stories, dreams . . .
And I am filled with joy . . .
I walk indoors and can't remember a thing . . .
The car and the garden are apparently very popular places to think. I open up around water…shower, pool, beach. Maybe it’s my sign! ;)
DeleteYes. The Shower is definitely me time. It is also the place where I cry. Where noone sees me and the tears can flow and the sobs are never heard. But being creative is a much better way to enjoy a shower.
ReplyDeleteI’ve done that, too, Barbara. Fortress of Solitude…
DeleteFun post and so typical that when you disconnect your mind from all the stuff that clutters it up it really does allow it to function in a whole new way. It is hard to jot notes when you are in the shower but you could start a tape recorder when you get in and if something brilliant occurs to you, you could say it out loud to be captured by the recorder and then when you are dry you can listen back to the tape and write down any ideas that you want to remember. Mowing the lawn kind of works that way for me. I have a big lawn and a riding mower so lots of time for thinking. And noticing all the little projects that need to be done.
ReplyDeleteMy husband likes mowing the lawn. He said it’s his thinking time, too. Can’t hear anything else over the roar of the motor! :)
DeleteI think my thinking time is in the wee hous of the morning when I'm lying in bed...not sleeping....like now. Sigh. Great post, I love the way you write!
ReplyDeleteBeen there! And thank you!! :)
DeleteSuch a fun post!
ReplyDeleteI do my thinking on our long walks along the beach and have written entire blog posts in my head while out kayaking. Then I have to rush home and write things down.
That sounds lovely, Carol. I am dreaming of those walks…
DeleteYes, I do a lot of thinking in the shower, too! But the car is the worst place for me as far as thinking. I actually keep a little notebook and pen in a little compartment in the front of my car and I'll jot down notes at stoplights or parking lots.
ReplyDeleteI think in the car, too, Melanie. I used to listen to the radio all the time, but as I grow older, the silence is what I crave!
DeleteYou are not alone....well, I really don't know if you are alone in the shower or not, and it truly isn't any of my business; I just mean you are not alone about thinking in the shower...lol! I think and often talk to myself in the shower, but maybe that's not something I should share. Oops! I will even sing occasionally, but that seems to scare the cat, so I refrain most of the time! It's so nice to shut out the world on occasion...even for a short period of time.
ReplyDeleteWarm hugs,
Carol
Carol, your whole comment just made me laugh!! Every sentence conjured up an image that made me smile…and maybe even blush!! ;)
DeleteNo it's ironing for me! The plans and thoughts I make then ...
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Ironing is very relaxing, Jan. I can see that...
DeleteTrue...I do this during my walks. I solve all problems, even world problems, planning to share with the leaders of the world my simple solutions. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI loved how you wrote this up...well done as always.
Carla
Thanks Carla. :) A little quiet really does bring on the clarity.
DeleteOh yes, I do some of my best thinking in the shower! And while I'm asleep too, apparently. Sometimes I bolt up in the middle of the night because I suddenly remembered the name of that song I've been trying to think of, or where I put something, etc. I have such vivid dreams too and I remember almost all of them. I tell my hubby this is why I'm so tired sometimes because my mind never stops. I'm exhausted from all the dreams I had all night long. Lol! I've also written many a blog posts (in my head) while showering. :)
ReplyDeleteWe seriously were separated at birth! I have crazy vivid dreams!! I am always tired, I wake up like I ran a marathon all night long!! My mind just never stops. :) So funny!!
DeleteI love the words of Eleonor Roosevelt! It is like it was written for me right now. Indeed the shower gives us busy people a few moments of solitude so we can think.
ReplyDeleteI love that quote too, Angela...and so many more of her wise words. I have posted about her words before. Smart lady!
DeleteThe shower isn't my time to think. I'm too busy shaving my toes.
ReplyDeleteI do most of my thinking while single handedly scarfing down a pint (or two) of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey. Which is why, when I noticed my closet was full of elastic waist pants, I decided thinking was over rated. I'd rather be hot...or at least luke warm.
Oh my gosh, Doreen...I had forgotten about Chunky Monkey!! In the before kids days, my husband and I used to share a pint (or two) on weekends, watching tv...great memories!! And tasty, too! ;)
DeleteI never knew why I could think better there...it all makes sense now!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to know I’m not alone, Karen!! :)
DeleteOh I love this! Yes, I do think in the shower and on those long walks...then I get home and it has all slipped away!
ReplyDeleteI am going to start taking an old cassette recorder with me...
Happy Monday Kim!
J.
Ah, an old cassette recorder...that is a great idea! I'd love to use my phone, but water and advanced technology do not always mix!! :)
DeleteLOL speaking of kids do you remember when they were little and you had very little privacy? My DIL said that the other day she'd just gotten out of the shower and one of the twins ( girl, just turned six ) walks in and then says "EWWW Mommy, no one wants to see you naked!"
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, my teenagers will still barge in to ask me a question and then proclaim the exact same thing! Ugh...kids! ;)
DeleteWhat, no singing?
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Well…sometimes. Although, I have been told by my kids that singing is not for everyone! ;)
DeleteI don't think I'm in the shower long enough to do the kind of thinking you're describing, Kim. I'm an in and out shower kind of girl. My heavy thinking comes in the middle of the night when I wake up and my brain goes into creative mode. If it's really good I get up and go to my computer. If it's just meandering all over the place I opt for more sleep. It's usually the later. ;) Hugs, Nancy
ReplyDeleteA lot of people seem to do their thinking when you do, Nancy. Bed seems to very conducive to deep thought! You are smart to get up when lightening strikes. You never know if those ideas will come back in the morning. They don’t always stick around when I’m dry! ;) Hugs to you
DeleteI do believe there is just something about warm water! Cleans the brain I guess! LOL I do my best thinking at night just right before I go to bed, but sleep certainly takes it away! Have a great week, Lynn...
ReplyDeleteCleans the brain!! I love that Lynn! :)
DeleteThe only thing I think about in the shower is how fast I can get out & rest. My showers are usually rushed after hard work. I always lay down & rest a little - or go to bed if it's evening - after my shower. That's when I think. ;) If I can stay awake long enough!
ReplyDeleteSometimes, I have a rushed shower, too, Jenny. It's usually when I shower last and I am worried that the hot water is going to quit!! ;)
DeleteI do sometimes, but I mostly SING! LOL!
ReplyDeleteSinging is good too, Vel!! :)
DeleteShower forever so I can read your novel! I'll be first in line for the signing! xo Jen
ReplyDeleteJen, you just made my night! xoxo
DeleteEveryone needs a quiet spot, mine is in bed, lights out, while everyone else is sleeping and I'm guaranteed NOT to be bothered. Helps me unwind from the day. And it is funny the "power" that comes from these recharging moments...which lasts until a sleepy kid crawls into bed with me and steals my pillow! lol
ReplyDeleteYes, I hear you…even with teenagers, an uninterrupted night’s sleep is hard to come by! No one is stealing anything from me in the shower! ;)
DeleteWe need a waterproof note pad and pen!
ReplyDeleteMy inspiration hits all over the place.
This post is reminding me (because once again, once the inspiration hits it fades away if I don't write it down- and even then, I don't look at the list??? Help!)
We are all in this together.
I just love it when the ideas hit:)
I love it when ideas hit, too, Laura! Waterproof sounds fabulous! If only! ;)
DeleteI love the way you wrote this! I have those amazing, wonderful ideas in the middle of the night. I have written books, blog posts, songs, and invented things in the middle of the night. Problem is that by morning, I know there was a great idea in there somewhere but I don't remember what it was. Or in the light of day it doesn't seem quite so brilliant.
ReplyDeleteYes! Maybe that's part of it, Stacey, a brilliance that doesn't stand up to daylight or dry climates! And thank you! :)
DeleteHmmm... Now you have me thinking. I don't take long showers because our water gets cold too fast. I do most of my thinking while cleaning up the kitchen in the evenings before bed. My hands are wet so maybe there's some sort of connection!! LOL
ReplyDeleteWater is a powerful element, Brandi! Or maybe it’s the cleaning! ;)
DeleteFor me it's after my daughter has fallen asleep or early in the am. A funny post Kim that is easy to identify with in some way.
ReplyDeleteI need to add - it's early in the am before she wakes up. Lol. She is not sleeping yet!
ReplyDeleteI still do that Ronda! Teens tend to stay up late, but sleep in, so my mornings are quiet shower time!! :)
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