I recently enjoyed a small stint away from home, which means I got reacquainted with the ever-fun-to-use itty bitty soap bar. You know the one. The cute wannabe left for you by the hotel staff. Isn’t it so cute! It’s just the right size for your dolly to use.
Pray tell, who really enjoys an attempted scrub down with something easily lost in the palm of your hand? Get that slippery sucker too wet and it will shoot right out of your grasp like a bottle rocket.
Watch as it hits the ceramic tub and zooms around the base like Lightning McQueen on a race track. Any attempt to capture said soap while still in motion will only result in more laps around the track… with a shot of nitrous.
Of course, it’s a different story when this happens to children. Instead of an intricately woven thread of profanity, there is hearty chorus of giggles. Laughing and splashing up a violent sea storm in the tub, they will stop at nothing to capture the elusive pray. While usually leading up to absolute mess, it’s a fabulous way to keep them occupied should you find yourself with time to kill.
So what do we learn from itty bitty soap? That is, besides how uncomfortable it is to use? For each of us it will be different. I hope you will share your own take. In the meantime, I’ll tell you what I see. There are great advantages in being small. In certain situations, it would play to your advantage should you need to get out of a tight situation or avoid capture. Okay, that’s rather obvious, but it’s now something I think about through the eyes of a writer. Since I started committing my stories to the page, my viewpoint on things has changed. I see the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages, in a great many things that I may have previously just skimmed over.
Now, what would have been a forgotten thought about a seemingly random item – itty bitty soap – becomes a character in a story. Short in stature, but very quick and hard to nab. He… or she… will fight by a different set of rules than the “big bads” because they can. They are the Jackie Chan’s of the worlds I create. So maybe this analysis makes me a bit crazy or maybe it’s further validation I’m a writer. Or both. What say you about itty bitty soap?
On a side note, my little crazy head of a daughter absolutely LOVES the itty bitty soaps. Of course, they’re not so itty bitty in her smaller palms. One thing is for sure, though. The soaps sure don’t last long.
I love itty bitty soaps too! Your daughter has good taste, lol. My church used to ask everyone to save their travel soaps and shampoos and stuff from hotels, because every year they’d put care packages – shoeboxes – together for the homeless with these items in it, as well as a pad of paper, a pen, a travel size deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush, tissue packet, etcetera. It was a nice idea.
Some hotels are now telling their customers that if they leave the bottles and things, they will get re-filled and sent to third world countries, or the military, or something – I don’t quite remember, but it was something charitable.
But I agree – those soaps are danged hard to hold onto!
My old church used to do that. I loved collecting the mini soaps and shampoos for them. Now I am in search of a new church home. Haven’t found that right fit since relocating up here. 🙁
I didn’t know that about the re-fills. That is really cool. I am all behind the recycle and go-green movement as much as possibly without being totally crazy.
So glad you stopped in Christine.
I think this post just goes to prove that we writers find inspiration in everything. Heck, I saw a mocking bird and crow fighting on the way to work one day and came up with an idea for a suspense novel. 😉
Very interesting and clever how an itty bitty bar of soap can become a character. I had never thought of objects as characters but I think you are on to something!
That was very nicely written. The cadence and symmetry pulled me right in. Regardless of the content of your stories, people will read your stuff just for the pleasant flow of masterfully crafted words.
I happen to be stuck in a hotel filled with mini soaps right now, so I’ll go see which age category I belong to after I drop the silly little soap wedge, lol.
Now see, I imagined a teensy faerie zipping around on soap, eluding your grasping fingers and laughing hysterically the whole time. Writers are silly people, we have to be!
Truth time – I love those little soaps, too. Every time I stay in a hotel I get all giggly inside because I get my own little soap.
Those soaps are cute, aren’t they? But I think those fairies would have to have some serious muscle to be zipping around with the soap in their hands. It would still be on the big side for them. Just saying. 😀
No, no, no. Those fairies are surfing on the soap! Sheesh, of course they couldn’t carry it, they’d be trapped under it for hours before anyone found them.
I think we should totally get our boys together. Yours is a tad younger than mine, but that’s okay, they can speak Minecraft and that’s all that matters. Right? ; )
Now I’m laughing at the visual you have created. LOL Both of them being crushed by the soap and zipping around on them like surfboards. Oh my gosh Tameri, could you imagine the crazy talk we would have going after a drink at the bar? Ha ha ha
Gamer would jump at the chance to get together. He loves meeting other enthusiasts. He is totally bummed that the convention is sold out. Would have worked out nicely too since my mom just bought a house near there. Oh well. He keeps asking me when I am going to take him to Comic Con. But I know when I finally do it will change my entire itinerary. I’m not ready for that yet. We should totally meet down there in 2012. We are usually stationed at the hotel right there at the end. We like being close as well. Terribly convenient. 🙂
I will never look at a tiny sliver of soap the same. LOL! 🙂
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. LOL
So glad you stopped by Sheila!
Hey Debra, interesting topic.
I wonder how many of us have a drawer at home with those little soaps from the many hotels we’ve stayed at throughout the years! lol!
See you soon!
I love the soap and all the little bathroom items that come in a hotel room here because they make me feel pampered. They are free and they are cute. Oh, and they are new. They remind me that I am on vacation! I used to live in South America and the only little thing I ever got in a hotel room was cockroaches. We had to bring our own bathroom supplies and towels. Living in the US, we have so many luxuries. I like to get excited by even the small ones.
Yes Krystal! That was my point exactly. When our mind is left open we can find inspiration in anything. I think you will be amazed where some of your inspiration comes from when you start looking at the world that way Tim.
Justin, I hope you found a giggly youth and not the other. Maybe you’ll stop by and let us know.
Karen, I used to have so many of the little guys I finally had to weed a ton out and send them away. Hopefully they found their way to the proper shelter. Emma, we are extremely lucky to live where we do and have all the luxuries available to us. I try to remind myself of this often. Never take our status for granted. Cockroaches – ick!
Thank you all for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Inspiration at it’s finest, when you can find it in the smallest and humblest of places. Nice work! 🙂
Thank you Serena! I appreciate the comment. I find inspiration all around me. How about you?