I suppose it’s not surprising that I, too, am a Shower Thoughts person. And so I start my Shower Thoughts posts here on a meta wavelength, recounting my contemplations while in the shower of approximately 3 weeks go regarding why that activity has given rise to some of my best ideas.
I certainly do agree with Cyan that it is some of the best uninterrupted thinking time, but I posit that it goes farther than that. Meditating, lying down or just sitting still uninterrupted does not have the same effect. (By virtue of living alone and not having any children, I do get to experience this phenomena on a regular basis). I also have uninterrupted time while cycling, hiking, and driving around in my radio-less car — but they all produce a different kind of thought. There is a unique quality to the shower which comes both from not being interrupted and also by being in a rote activity which consumes a small portion of my hyper brain, but which is an activity which does not injure me should I stop paying attention. Those of us whose brains are constantly flipping ideas about (consciously, unconsciously, willingly or willy-nilly) need something which will help us focus but will not distract us. This activity tightrope is, I have found, best achieved in the shower. I look forward to them and if I am struggling with a problem when I am working at home, will often jump into the shower to clear my head and help me figure it out.
Then again, perhaps this is all a justification for the fact that I have, according to my father, been a rabid fan of showers since the age of 6 months. As a child, I would start laughing hysterically as soon as the drops started to strike my skin. I no longer do this. But I still have a great love for the shower, many thoughts there, and perhaps tomorrow morning it will make me giggle.
