Privacy, Modesty, & Reality

Sometimes we encounter an odd situation in our lives, and never realize how odd it is until later.

One such case involved my sister's family (husband, 4 kids, and herself) who moved into an old house. At the time, the kids (ages 13, 11, 9, and 7) occupied 3 bedrooms in the upper floor. The 2 boys shared one room, and the two girls had separate bedrooms. The upper floor also had a small bathroom near the center, which was originally a closet (the house was built without indoor plumbing). It contained a toilet, a sink, and a small metal shower stall. The lower level of the house had several rooms, including the parent's bedroom and a bathroom.

The odd thing about the upper story was...it had no doors on any of the rooms. Half-hinges mounted on the door jambs indicated the presence of doors at one time, but not now. Where the doors went is unknown.

So how did 4 kids manage to change clothes and share a tiny bathroom without doors?

Very well, actually.
They were happy to have the house, as it was far better than their previous abode.
If someone was using the bathroom, they just passed by and returned when it was available, or went downstairs.

These kids weren't angels; they had their share of bickering and pushing their chores onto each other, but they also had sensitivity for each other's feelings and a very realistic perspective of personal boundries. The non-emphasis on forced "modesty" gave them the freedom to go about their lives without trying to glimpse the others in a state of undress. Their mom grew up in a family where nudity was incidental and bathrooms were commonly shared, but their dad was a typical Baptist raised with little or no family nudity.

They lived in that house for 8 years. I was often called upon to repair or improve some aspect of the house which my talents would permit, but no one ever asked me to put doors upstairs. It just wasn't a problem.

The adaptability of people is indeed encouraging.
Our society could use a generous dose of it today.
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Darkhorse
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