In a culture filled with an incessant call to action, it is paramount that we stop to think from time to time. This may sound like common sense, but in a fast-paced world it’s hard to consider things for more than a few minutes. Throughout my hectic high school career I have made a point of doing what many people fail to do on a daily basis: reflect on and assess life and my decisions. I am a thinker. I analyze, postulate, and contemplate – sometimes too much – but always with the intention of learning something new about myself. I do my best thinking not in the classroom or my bedroom – but in the bathroom.

The bathroom has always been where I can relax, an oasis of calm and contemplation. The closest thing to an interruption is a polite knock on the door, and a soft quiet is maintained. Ample mirrors provide for sufficient self-inspection. In short, the bathroom is the ideal place for introspection and critical thought.

My bathroom is a chamber where I take solace in silence and retreat from the stresses of life. After a long day of school and homework, clubs and activities, I head there to reflect on the day past and the days ahead.

In fact, I do some of my best thinking in the bathroom. Everything from ideas for novels, screenplays, songs and movies, and what to eat for lunch are considered. Solutions to long-standing problems come in epiphanies while staring at the symmetrical, blue-tiled floor. I achieve new understanding of books while looking at the walls. I ruminate on friends and family and what they mean to me. I even consider my mistakes and attempt to resolve my flaws.

The thinking I do in the bathroom – whether asinine fantasies about my future as a rock star, or the sorry realization that my mother was in fact correct – all are important to me. Taking the time to reflect has kept me grounded, allowing me to make good decisions and stay focused on what is important. Instead of living life blindly and complacently, I have chosen to think deeply and keep things in perspective. To me, the bathroom is not a place to escape the challenges of reality, but rather a place to embrace and conquer challenges.

I know that when I go to college, and eventually into the real world, critical thought will remain a constant in my life. No matter what I do with my life – whether law, film, or literature – there will always be a quiet bathroom down the hall. And for me, that place will provide the opportunity to better myself through critical thought.