It turns out that today we spend much more time than before in the bathroom. Jean-Claude Kaufman believes that this is due to a change in our rhythm of life.
I must admit — for some time, taking a shower in the morning, I had complexes that I was approaching the matter in bad faith. I am slow, I think badly, time flows indefinitely. But after the shower, running around begins to do everything on time. I told myself that I was far from the beauties from advertising, who are full of energy from the very early morning, they just need to pat their cheeks — and they wake up in the blink of an eye. Luckily, I got some statistics on morning cleansing rituals the other day, and I’m happy with the results. In my case, there is nothing special. With the exception of a couple of hyperactive individuals, everyone slowly takes an enveloping shower, not a jet of water. Advertising is behind the times. Waking up is now harder than ever. All because today we have the right to invent our own universe, to create our own personality. And the process of creation begins anew every morning, after the bliss of a night break — a dream in which everything is possible. As soon as you wake up, everything is not so. We have to calmly plan the day, weigh the options, move between coffee and toothpaste. According to the study, breakfast is becoming a time of silence and solitude — more and more family members have breakfast separately from each other *; it is difficult to be open to others when you have already entered into a dialogue with yourself. The study also showed that we showered longer and calmer. The gentle touch of water helps us move from the sluggish rhythm of awakening to the bustle of the day ahead.
The shower was invented two centuries ago in prisons to forcefully wash prisoners. But it wasn’t until the 1950s, when bathrooms appeared in council houses, that it became popular. The shower was taken very quickly and strictly for hygiene purposes; not at all like it is now. Today, water doesn’t just flow; she must caress, massage, envelop. Ordinary soap is forgotten; exotic smells remind you of travel, make you think about pleasure. Even men are starting to explore sweet scents. Now they have fruity notes and perfume compositions. «But not just any: an apple because it’s sour, an eco-friendly fruit because it’s associated with vacations**.» Personally, I like lemon. But on condition that under the shower it will be sweet.
* Research in nutrition and dietetics «Les enjeux relationnels du petit déjeuner», Cahiers de nutrition et diététique, September 2012.
** «Revolution in the bathroom» («La révolution passe par la salle de bains»). Le Monde, 2012, 26 September.