As I washed my hands in my parents’ bathroom sink, I realized something was out of the ordinary. Instead of the usual Walgreens hand soap, there stood in its place a hand pump soap from a hotel. And not the little ones they give you to use in the shower, but a massive one usually found in a lobby bathroom. I turned around, facing a set of shelves, and realized there was another huge-ass soap stored for later. From upstairs, I yelled down to my mother, inquiring about the new additions in the bathroom. She proudly confessed she had stolen those soaps.
My mother’s philosophy: “Hand soaps, Sweet n Low, and tampons should always be free.” For my mother, these are women’s basic essentials. She’s paid for these items her whole life, and now it’s time for her reimbursement.
I’ve told my mom she should start a campaign based off this philosophy. We didn’t ask to get our periods every month. We also didn’t ask for the endless cramps, bloating, intense chocolate cravings, and ruined pairs of underwear that come along with getting our period. We repopulate the world, we create actual human beings, yet we are used for corporate profit. Companies like Tampax thrive off our menstrual cycles, a force we have no control over.
At least my high school got it right. It being an all-girls school, they stock each bathroom with a lifetime supply of tampons. Walking into the bathroom on my first day of school was like all eight nights of Hanukkah combined into one. No longer did I have to keep a box of tampons in my backpack. They were just always there at my convenience. Free tampons should be at every CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgreens. Or maybe they should be in a more classy setting that women frequently visit. There should be a free supply of tampons in every Nordstroms bathroom. Not only can we return items without a receipt, but we can also get free tampons. Nordstroms, I’m helping you. People will love you even more!
I’m not alone with this idea. Freethetampons.org stresses the need for bathroom equality. The website states, “All public bathrooms provide free toilet paper, soap, and even seat covers – but tampons, that’s another story.” They even started a hashtag trend on Twitter that lets people know about places where they have tampons for free #genius.
So back to the hand soap: it’s left out for people to use when they wash their hands. There’s no security making sure it stays in the bathroom. Plus, the one my mom takes smells so good. And shouldn’t we have the natural right maintain our hygiene?
Regarding the Sweet n Low: like the hand soaps, Starbucks just leaves them out for anyone to take. They don’t put a restriction on how many you’re allowed to have. So naturally, instead of taking the typical two to three packets, my mom shoves 20 in her pocket. How can you not? It’s zero calorie artificial sugar. That’s a miracle all in itself.
My mother redefined the word stealing. She likes to refer to it as “creative taking.” She interprets the word differently as a way to justify her actions. She’s not stealing to be malicious; she’s stealing on the grounds of female justice and reparations. So for all that she has given to the world – one of them being yours truly – she took those hand soaps. I’m not suggesting you all go out and steal (creatively take) something, but it’s just something to think about…
Image via.