Life in San Francisco

The Sign in the Restroom

January 4, 2010

This sign hangs above the trash can in the restroom at my new office building. It seems innocuous enough - don't take care of things yourself, call the management.

But there is something about this sign that makes me think of some gruesome Stephen King-esque creature that lives at the bottom of the trash can that is just waiting to eat my fingers.

Every time I go into the restroom, I can't seem to take my mind away from the thought of the evil creature waiting to chomp off my fingers if I dare to push down the overflowing paper towels.

I almost think I am being a bit obsessive about these thoughts, but then I remember reading the Stephen King story about the little boy who was afraid of the monster that lived in his closet, and his father finding the monster while it was killing him.

When I was little I remember thinking about the hand that was going to grab my leg from under the bed as I got into it late at night. Somehow this is almost the same thing, except I keep thinking that I shouldn't be afraid of monsters, because there aren't any monsters. Or are there? One thing I know for sure is that I will NOT be sticking my hand into the trash can to find out.