Toilet Paper

Don’t laugh. In my scrapbook, I have several sheets of a gray substance. When asked to identify it, my friends guess that it is a type of mild abrasive, or perhaps tire-patching material. It is neither of these. It is, in fact, toilet paper from a Polish train station, and even today looking at it makes me cringe. But even this hellish stuff is superior to no paper at all, which is not uncommon in some bathrooms, particularly in public places. A good-sized wad of tissue at the bottom of a pocket or a daypack may some day save you from an unpleasant and undignified predicament. Remember, when others, less prepared than you, are in desperation, bargain mercilessly, especially if you’ve got the downy-soft product from home.