My friend is upset because after 25 years her toilet broke. She paid $600 for it back then and it was considered the Cadillac of toilets. Now she would have to pay $300 just for the parts, not counting labor. In fact, her whole bathroom is old. She thought about combining the toilet and sink in a replacement plan, but was told they no longer make bathroom fixtures in brown. This was news to me. I suggested tan, beige, raw umber, raw sienna, burnt umber and gold. She mentioned something called bisque or brisque, which sounds like a breakfast staple. Only one person at Home Depot has the color chart which he keeps at home as though it were the Magna Carta. Her daughter cannot imagine having a two colored bathroom. Neither can her sister. I suggested she do the whole place over, but that would run into the thousands. I told her my toilet costs $500 and I was quite satisfied with it, though I wish the flush were quieter. But who doesn't?
There is a basic sadness when a toilet breaks down, a grief process no one wants to address. Perhaps I could start a toilet grief support group. Maybe Sarah McLaughlin could write a song about this.
