Mirror, Mirror on the Stall Wall,

Here I sit in my recliner with my laptop still trying to figure out the location of a certain mirror I saw this week and its counterparts.

On Thursday I went to the doctor in Richardson, TX. When I arrived I needed to use the restroom, and knowing that the only restroom available on her floor was located behind a locked door and that I would need permission to use it, I chose to use the public restroom on the first floor of the medical building she is located in. A bathroom I have used many times over the years.

I entered the stall, placed the seat over on the seat, sat down, and then looked up to notice a mirror. Now I have seen mirrors on the back of bathroom stall doors, and I have seen small mirrors located high up on a stall wall for women to check their makeup etc., but I have never seen a mirror placed in the location of this one.

This particular mirror was placed next to the toilet paper holder. It extended a couple of inches above the height of the toilet paper holder and extended on towards the bottom of the stall. I was intrigued. As I stood to leave the stall, I was careful to note just what body parts were covered by the mirror. I also noted that in order for me to see my makeup in that particular mirror I would have to bend over and practically put my head on my knees.

I was fascinated at that point. I was the only person in the bathroom so I went from stall to stall to see if every stall had a mirror in that location. They all did!

I went to the men’s room, because I really wanted to know if they had mirrors too. Unfortunately, it was occupied and I needed to go to my appointment, otherwise I would have walked in to find out. (It was occupied on my way out too, so I still do not know if the men had such mirrors.)

What was the purpose of the placement of that mirror? What are women supposed to be looking at while standing in that stall?

One suggestions was that they mirror was there to check to see if you had tucked your dress into your pantyhose. Really? How many people are going to the doctor these days dressed in such a manner? Not one person in the waiting room was dressed in a dress and pantyhose except for the drug saleswoman that dropped off drug samples.

While pondering the use of the mirror, I couldn’t help but think of Raymond complaining about one of his roommates being extremely hairy and walking around naked with dingleberries, and how such a mirror might have been helpful to him.

There were some feminine hygiene product ideas that came to mind, but I can’t imagine really needing a mirror to use any of those products.

No sex toys were being sold in the women’s bathroom.

Several of my friends and I have discussed this mirror. My boys and I have discussed this mirror. None of us can rationally think of a reason for placement of this mirror.

Maybe someone drilled the holes in the first stall to put up the mirrors in the wrong place, and since a hole in the stall wall would have meant a small window to the next stall the only thing that came to their mind was to hang the mirror there, and then to make them all alike they hung all the mirrors that low.

Of course, the mirrors could simply be there to occupy small children while their mothers are relieving themselves. I remember having to take my boys into the stall with me when we were out shopping and there was no one with me. I would have them turn their backs to me and face the door. Maybe these mirrors were so that children could stand and make faces at themselves, while the mothers are taking care of necessary functions of the human body.

I guess I will never know the real reason the mirrors are there, and I hope I can stop wondering about it soon. \\|

Mirror Mirror on the Stall Wall, You Sure are Showing it All