Small Words

Revised Jan. 3, 2025

A past me would have been traumatized but now I see that making new friends is more important than pride. Or prudishness in this case.

Restrooms in New York are in high demand and downtown Buffalo is no exception. At a pub-style restaurant (with a buffalo hanging from the ceiling), I was timing my bathroom break, craning my neck ever so often to take tally of the number of women entering and leaving the stalls.

After seeing several ladies leave, it was time to make a dash.

But I didn’t time it right and as I approached the bathroom, I could see several women already in line.

They were puzzling at the floor-to-ceiling stalls and probably wondering if the stalls were vacant or just looked it. Because it would clearly be embarrassing to intrude on someone’s bathroom break.

Still not wanting to wait in line, I moved onto a second entrance I had seen around the corner. But it was actually the men’s room!

Ope, boy’s bathroom. I thought, “No harm done, I’ll go back and wait in line in the women’s room.”

So, I went back and stood behind a woman – who is just Dolly Parton (short stack, lowcut blouse, high cut skirt, fringe, sequins). This is fantastic! No one wears sequins in Ohio! I’m in love with her outfit.

She was, however, fed up with waiting. She asked me if there were open stalls around the corner.

I shake my head. “It’s the boy’s bathroom.”

She ignores me and goes to investigate herself. In an attempt to protect her modesty, I follow. Talking with both my hands and voice this time, I repeat, “It’s the boys bathroom!”

She grabs my wrist and pulls me into the men’s room gesturing at a soiled-looking stall and saying, “There’s room here!”

Ironically, it was my midwestern prudishness that led me here…

If only I hadn’t gone after her! I thought. I’m desperate and considering my options. There are none.

I’m sharing a bathroom stall with a stranger.

She’s bubbly, talking like this is usual. She recently moved to New Mexico. But grew up in NYC. She’s here for a visit. Her tan is from the strong southern sun and not a tanning booth (a common misconception she says). She asks me, “Do you ever wonder what happens to people you meet in the bathroom?” I truthfully say, “Hmmm, I’m from Ohio, I’ve never really met anyone in the bathroom…”

But now I have! Her name is Elizabeth and I DO wonder what she’s up to.

I’m visiting NYC later this month and I can’t help but hope that maybe she’ll be visiting her hometown too. Maybe, we’ll meet again in a bathroom in Manhattan and have to share a stall.