To ‘P’ or Not to ‘P’

Most of us can probably recall sitting in heavy traffic with a bladder extended to its maximum capacity.  Every bump and every dip on the road cause excruciating pain, the pain that accompanies the art of muscle contraction, of elevating the butt just a little to avoid liquid disequilibrium within the bladder.  And we press the legs firmly together as if to convince ourselves that if we squeeze right enough it will not spill.  Our eyes scan for the nearest exit hoping for a gas station around the corner. “To pee or not to pee.”

We need to pee.  We all have to pee.  We can’t live without peeing.  We do not pee because we like to pee.  We do not pee for recreation.  We have to pee because we are made to pee.  So we pull into the exit and sigh with relief upon seeing a gas station.  Walking carefully in search for relief, we are told that the toilet is broken.  What then?

Have you ever wondered how many times you actually pee in a day?  Probably not.  Neither have I.  When I was very young my grandmother who came from China used to tell me that peeing into the toilet was a waste of my pee.  why waste it, she would ask? HOw  not to waste my pee, I wondered?  We had many fruit trees planted in our yard.  We had two coconut trees. Seven mango trees and a guava tree (there were other trees I can not recall).  I was carefully instructed to pee at all the fruit trees.  The nutrient from my pee was, in my grandma’s opinion, much more than just water from the tap.  Although at that time I did not have much reason to feel good about myself, my pee was the one source of self-esteem especially when I saw that look on my grandma’s face that said, “Pee at the trees…pee at the trees…they really need your pee.”

The truth was I actually did complied for a quite a while.  And every mango season, the trees would bear much fruit.  My friend and I were asked to climb those trees and gather fruits for the family.  Every bite into those juicy fruits brought back a memory, a vivid, visual memory.

To pee or not to pee?  This modified Shakespearian philosophical question is rather intriguing.   Have you ever wondered if you’ve asked yourself this question?  I have a hunch the answer to this question, in some way, reflect your view of life?