I went to another venue last week - a venue that I’d only been to once and that was just over two and a half years ago.
I’d remembered the layout of the gents clearly. One entrance on the left hand side and one at the other end on the right hand side.
There were a row of urinals on both walls right in front of you whichever door you went through and one cubicle at each end to the right of the main entrance doors.
The urinals all had fairly big dividers but the gaps between each divider was a bit wide so not ideal.
Being a venue, naturally there was quite a few men in there and some waiting to use the cubicles (could they be a.p sufferers too I wondered to myself!).
The other day I hadn’t been to the toilet since I got up and by the time I’d gotten to the venue I’d drank one coffee, a bottle of pop & had one pop from Macdonalds. Not a great deal to fill one’s bladder but after all day should have been enough to empty it at some point.
I went in and saw what I thought was two guys walking out. It wasn’t. One guy was walking out, the other moved closer to the cubicle door. I had already stood by the end urinal and he was pretty close to my right and some guy stood at the urinal on my left.
It was busy in there but I had minimal anxiety.
No urine passed immediately so I monitored my bladder and then I realised I had my bum bag tied around my waist. “Of course!” said I! Last November I’d gone to a gig out of the area and I had misfires until I took off my bum bag and urinated immediately! It was the bag constricting my stomach and therefore my body wasn’t relaxed to urinate. This time, rather than having a misfire I quickly took the wise decision to fake it and stood there calmly for a couple of minutes. I then walked out.
I found some free tap water and drank that to top up my bladder and increase the urge. Why? Because it was somewhere I wouldn’t be trying to urinate in regularly so I wanted to be successful on this visit.
Water down and then an announcement that the gig was starting in two minutes and I decided to try again but first, I removed bum bag.
I told my mate I was going in again and that I didn’t go last time because I couldn’t go because I’d probably not drunk enough and he replied “that sometimes happens to me!” (an interesting comment because this is something we’re taught in the workshop!).
I went into the gents. It was quiter but still several men in there.
I went to exactly the same urinal and I stood next to a guy who’d just walked in.
This time, immediate success!
That’s the workshop knowledge and perseverance for you!