Mom's Brand Loyalty and Her Many Lessons

It started in college when I realized that I had instilled my mother’s brand loyalty. It was the first time I could vote so I definitely voted the same party she did, I only bought Tide detergent because that is what she used all of my life, and I was only partial to Kellogg’s cereal. One time, my roommates decided that we were going to save money (the extra money was probably used to go out downtown Clemson). When they went grocery shopping they returned home with those huge bags of off-brand name cereal. I couldn’t believe my eyes it was pure shock! I wouldn’t eat those things because they were not what I was use to and mostly because I think that weekend the ants had invaded our kitchen cabinets. See the ants didn’t think they belonged their either.

When I met “Tim the Tool Man Taylor” we had probably dated almost a year before he hit me with the most shocking news…he was allergic to Tide detergent and I had to start using something completely different. What else was I suppose to use (like that was the only laundry detergent humans ever made)? I immediately called my Aunt, I call her “Mother Theresa,” not only is that her name but she is a saint. Fortunately, her son whom they call “Precious One” (only because he could probably murder someone and it would never be his fault according to my family) is allergic to Tide too. She hooked me onto ALL detergent. Now and I forever will be brand loyal to ALL. Well, unless my husband breaks into this allergic reaction again and I must find another brand.

Then, when I moved in with my husband it got worse! I had to change from my ever so soft Kleenex Cottonelle toilet paper to that hard, cardboard Scott tissue. WHAT???? It took a long while, but I am finally accustomed to Scott’s. I can barely use anything else. I try sneaking in at least the soft Scott and take it out of the wrappers before “Tim the Tool Man Taylor” can see it.
With this, I have already told you how OCD I am about how everything has its own place in the house and humans definitely made toilet paper and paper towel holders to be used.

When I was younger there were lessons my mom taught me :

1. Replace the toilet paper when empty and make sure it rolled over and down. Never under and down.

2. Never leave a drink on your night stand.

3. Never drive your car if the gas is below half full. Always keep your gas tank at least half full. I guess my mom was always worried about running out of gas. Maybe she had to push a car once and never wanted me to have to experience that one.

I came home yesterday to find the following:

Yep, no toilet paper on the roll. At first I wasn’t going to replace it and make “Tim the Tool Man Taylor” panic when he realized it wasn’t there. And hope he would replace it with the roll going over and down. But we were having company over so I quickly replaced it.


Then I go to the kitchen to find the following:

Yep, no paper towels either. But the empty roll still there. To his advantage, I forgot to buy some at the grocery store.

However, after much frustration over the matter we had a wonderful dinner with the family and once they were gone, I went upstairs for my nightly routine and to take a long bath. I was so tired from working and slaving over my, oh so fabulous, Paula Dean roast that the bath was exactly what I needed. What I did not expect was to be sitting in the tub and look over to see what I had done to the toilet paper: (GASP!!)

How could I fuss at “Tim the Tool Man Taylor” when I was this lazy? Had I lost my mind? The mere fact that I could get the toilet paper out of the cabinet and sit it on the toilet paper stand and not remove the old toilet paper roll…what else could I say?