A Tennis Ball, The Trash Compactor Room & A Bucket of Shit

Posted on 21 Feb 201812 May 2022 by J. Peters

Read Time:1 Minute, 57 Second

I don’t usually blog about my day, but today was unusual for a Sunday.

It started very typically. I woke up and made some breakfast. I turned on the game and then went to the bathroom for my morning constitution.

Flush.

Nothing happens.

At that very moment things got very not typical.

I plunge. No movement.

Flush.

Nothing happens.

I should have gotten someone to help them at this point. My first thought was, go to the super.

I live in an apartment building and pay rent.

That’s when I remembered what happened the last time this happened. Each time this happens, the super comes, makes condescending faces, and complains about the smell.

It’s not appropriate, makes me feel helpless, and makes me want to avoid his help.

So, whenever I get the opportunity to fix something on my own, I do.

I got a bucket and a disposable cup this time and scooped the shit into a bucket.

I poured the bucket into the bathtub. I flipped the drain. The shit wouldn’t flush.

Things just got worse from there.

There was shit everywhere. Nothing would go down.

It occurred to them that if I weren’t going to get remarks then by the super, I would now. I had to fix this myself or face my fantastic.

So I did what anyone would do. Try to fix it myself. I thought, go to the compactor room, dump it down the garbage chute, and this will all go away.

All things being every day, that would be the case. But nothing was ordinary about today so far.

From here, shit hit the floor. When I poured it down, I didn’t realize a gap between the lever and the wall. Government test, a manufacturing flaw, or my bad luck?

It was at that moment I became a man on a mission. I was going to clean the floor before the super or some neighbor spotted this disaster.

I failed. I later got a mop and something to clean the floor with, my neighbor and the super were at the scene.

& it was a scene.

I never heard swearing like that. The super swore while swearing that this had never happened in fifty years.

I discovered that my cat stopped up the toilet with a tennis ball the next morning.

Go figure.

About the Author

J. Peters

J. Peters is the Editor-in-Chief of Mental Health Affairs.

Award-winning book author and Bold 10 Under ten award recipient J. Peters, LCSW. Through his work as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Mental health therapist and disability rights advocate Mr. Peters fights for those without a voice in various care systems, such as the New York City Department of Social Services, the New York State Office of Mental Health, or the city's Department of Corrections.

Mr. Peter's battle with Schizophrenia began at New London University in his last semester of college. Discharged from Greater Liberty State Hospital Center in July 2008, Jacque's recovery was swift but not painless and indeed brutal after spending six months there.

He has published several journal articles on recovery and mental health and three books: University on Watch, Small Fingernails, and Wales High School. He is also a board member of the newspaper City Voices. Mr. Peters currently sits on the CAB committee (Consumer Advisory Board) for the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene in NYC and the Office of Mental Health (OMH) as a peer advocate.

Owner of Recovery Now in New York, a private psychotherapy practice, Mr. Peter's approach is rooted in a foundation of evidence-based practices (EBP). Jacques earned a master's degree in Social Work from Binghamton University and worked as a field instructor for master's and bachelor's level students in NYC.

He is blogging daily on his site mentalhealthaffairs.blog, Mr. Peters regularly writes articles relating to his lived experience with a mental health diagnosis.

maxwellguttman@gmail.com

http://universityonwatch.com

administrator