A Bottle of Shampoo

It was a stuffy, humid summer night, and after a whole day of binge-watching Homeland, I decided to take a nice, cold shower to clean up before bedtime.

I carried on with my usual routine, and when it was time to shampoo my hair, I looked to the usual spot where the bottle would always reside, and found nothing but empty air.

Remembering that my cousin had asked to borrow it, and also that I had specifically requested that she return it after use, I was forced to get out of the shower, dripping wet, and traipse awkwardly to her bathroom in a towel, which is halfway across the house, to retrieve it, cursing profusely the whole way. Which was probably justified.

I returned with my trophy, trying to control my temper and to avoid bursting into another round of cursing while searching for ways and distractions to calm myself down. 

My burning rage was soon quelled as I decided that this trivial matter was not worth getting mad at. Forgetfulness is not a crime. I turned all the negative energy into inspiration, and spent the rest of the shower drafting out this post and contemplating the wonders and mysteries of the known universe. 

There has been many instances in my life when I borrow things to a person, and they never ever took the initiative to return it. Heck, I've lost at least 10 pencils in this school year alone (not the nice, mechanical ones, I have enough sense not to lend them out - just the cheap wooden ones which I keep to hold up my hair) and it is just plain infuriating. 

A simple, unintentional act can cause another person much inconvenience. Parents nag at us all the time, much to our annoyance, about picking up after yourself in small, trivial things, be it a dirty shirt, dishes, or misplaced utensils. And if we hate it. We hate the nagging and the constant drill of complaints and advice that adults hurled at us daily, and we yearned to grow up and away from all the annoyance. 

Think about the consequences of your actions, past, present, and future, on whether it causes inconveniences to anyone, be it searching for presumably lost pencils, hunting for lost shampoo, or sorting through misplaced household items. Consider the implications of your decisions and actions, however trivial they may be, and think more about the well being of others and less about yourself. 

I've always shunned hedonism and take on altruism, thus my love for superheroes, and it's been a wish of mine that everyone can be just a little bit kinder, and nicer. The world would be a much happier place.

I realize I sounded really preachy, and sappy. Oh well.... 

The author did not receive payment in any form from the makers of her current shampoo, though she does pride herself for having thick, healthy hair and thus she expresses her thanks to Dove.