The Parable of the Hair
Shortly after I moved into this apartment (after I turned in my move-in inspection report but before I had any real furniture), I noticed that the paint job in the bathroom was pretty bad. Management had delayed my move-in by a few days so they could clean up after the previous tenant, and I think they rushed some things. Like, they didn't cover up or remove any of the bathroom hardware before painting, so there are paint droplets on the towel racks and toilet seat. Those didn't bother me so much, because the towel racks are usually covered by towels, and I don't spend much time looking at my toilet seat.
What did bother me was the paint job on the wall. Directly across from the toilet, right at eye level, there was a long hair imbedded in the paint. I seem to remember that when I first noticed it, I picked at the wall and managed to pull the hair out, which only made it worse by leaving a long, dark curlicue groove in the paint.
And every time I sat on the toilet for the last four years, I would stare at that curlicue and quietly seethe, partly at the apartment management for their cheapness and partly at myself for making things worse.
But apparently my memory was faulty, because as I was cleaning yesterday, I swept a rag over the wall and the end of the hair came loose. I guess I didn't really care if it would make things worse, because I just pulled the hair out, for real this time. And it didn't leave a mark and you can't even tell it was there. My bathroom wall is pristine.
I can't wait until the next time I get to sit on the toilet.
What did bother me was the paint job on the wall. Directly across from the toilet, right at eye level, there was a long hair imbedded in the paint. I seem to remember that when I first noticed it, I picked at the wall and managed to pull the hair out, which only made it worse by leaving a long, dark curlicue groove in the paint.
And every time I sat on the toilet for the last four years, I would stare at that curlicue and quietly seethe, partly at the apartment management for their cheapness and partly at myself for making things worse.
But apparently my memory was faulty, because as I was cleaning yesterday, I swept a rag over the wall and the end of the hair came loose. I guess I didn't really care if it would make things worse, because I just pulled the hair out, for real this time. And it didn't leave a mark and you can't even tell it was there. My bathroom wall is pristine.
I can't wait until the next time I get to sit on the toilet.