Potty Talk

At the school we attend each week, a family is chosen to give a presentation on something.  While other families have chosen to act out Bible stories, recite the 66 books of the Bible, quote the Beatitudes and other similar topics, we chose a subject near and dear to our hearts:  toilets & sewers.

Yes, never content with the status quo, we are always pushing against the norms.

And I believe it was a hit.

I kept things tame for everyone's sake, but researching the topic was an eye-opening experience for me.  Here are some of the most interesting discoveries:

"In 1884 English plumber Thomas Crapper designed a toilet that flushed more easily.  Thomas Crapper & Company made many of the toilets used in Europe.  Great Britain's Queen Victoria honored him, U.S. soldiers made him famous.  U.S. soldiers working in England during World War I began to call toilets 'crappers.'"  The Story Behind Toilets by Elizabeth Raum

Ever heard of the phrase, "Getting hold of the wrong end of the stick"? According to Penny Colman in the book Toilets, Bathtubs, Sinks and Sewers, "Public latrines were built throughout [Rome]. These structures were generally erected over a channel of running water. They had stone seats with a hole in the center. A bucket containing salt water stood beside each latrine. A long stick with a sponge tied to one end rested in the water. People used the spongy end like toilet paper and then put it back in the water for the next person to use."

Tours of the Paris sewers were a popular activity among the elite.  "The Paris sewer tours started in the mid-1800s.  The tour boats were outfitted with special wings that cleaned the sides of the the pipe as the boat traveled down the tunnel.  Lamps on the sides of the pipe lit the way so guests could see where they were going.  The water was fast-moving and this helped keep the smell tolerable."  Flush!  The Scoop on Poop by Charise Mericle Harper

and finally,

Louis XIV "would hold court, write letters, and issue orders while seated on the toilet throne (closetool).  This ceremony was called the petit coucher...which means "little sleep."  The lords used this time to ask the king for grants of money or special favors."  Flush!  The Scoop on Poop

I think it's interesting that all of these texts were written by women (no doubt, mothers to boys).  Flush! had to have been my favorite: 13 poems on the subject.  It ends like this:

FINALLY



We never said it ever.

Not once could it be heard.

We alluded to it plenty,

but then used another word.

So if you want to yell it,

and I know some of you do,

get ready, here it comes.

I'm going to write it just for you.

Let's do it all together.

Not a whisper, give a shout:

"POOPY!  POOPY!  POOPY!

is what this book's about!"