BACTERIA from over 150 species are nestled snugly on the average human hand. The finger alone has several convenient crevices for these monsters to take shelter. I’ve often gone into the school bathroom only to find the previous occupant nonchalantly waltzing out of a still- flushing stall and brazenly back out into the fluorescent hallways of campus. It is sad to say, but this lack of basic public health safety isn’t just reserved for the youth of today. When my biological instincts take over and I’m forced again to use restrooms at other public facilities, it has become the norm to see middle-aged customers exit the stall without even flushing their waste and it is not shocking to know that these same individuals also frequently skip on washing their hands. Oh, but they’ll be sure to preen their balding scalps and pull at their sagging faces with a disdainful sigh in the mirror before walking back into society.
It is disgusting and I hate the act of deliberately spreading germs and so it follows that I could care less for people.
It is not that I am a misanthropist but if you were to say that it would have been better if the meteor that took out the dinosaurs would have hit us while our microscopic ancestors were still swimming in the original primordial stew, I would not disagree with you. People will make you sick.
Physically, and mentally.
That is why I don’t need them. That is why I do my best to not need them. I could not have them if I wanted them. I am not very well-received by others. The majority of students and instructors alike find me weird, which isn’t too puzzling. However, I take immaculate care in my personal hygiene; my hair is squeaky-clean and parted neatly at the side. My teeth are sparkling, I bathe regularly, and I am relatively free of any sort of off-putting facial cyst and acne. If anything about my person stands out, I suppose it would be my hands. My hands make people uncomfortable. I will never be found without a pair of surgical gloves on. My hands are raw, red and sore from the constant rubbing, but the pain and disfigurement is a necessary trade off in order to stay healthy. My gloves are my shields and I squeeze my hands into the tight dry material daily as a precaution against the world.