You never quite know what conversations might be overheard in a public restroom. It’s best to be cautious about who and what you talk about with your friend in a nearby stall. The person you make a comment about may be putting on lipstick or washing her hands. You might be careful at the sink too. Who knows who is in the stalls. They’re called public restrooms for a reason.

I went into the powder room to adjust the wireless mic when I was speaking at an event a couple of years ago and overheard two women in the stalls talking about the speaker. It made me a little nervous and it almost felt like I was eavesdropping. Fortunately, everything said was positive except one of them thought my red jacket was a bit distracting and that a black jacket would have been better. I was trying to get everything situated and out of there before I heard the toilets flush, but it didn’t happen. Out they came and there I stood in my red jacket. I just smiled and said “Hi” like I hadn’t heard a thing. One of them fumbled around saying how much she was enjoying the conference. It was like she fell down, got up and acted as if nothing had happened which was clearly the smartest thing to do.

Last week Jill came out of the ladies locker room at the pool grinning like she knew something no one else did. “You’ll love this! A mother and her little girl were in the bathroom stall changing clothes and the daughter said, ‘Mommy this is fun, but do we have to stay here the whole ‘darn it’ time? She sounded so proper.”

Obviously her mom had corrected her when she had used a different four letter word. I think it was another mommy reminder for Jill that kids repeat what they hear whether rude words or information a parent really doesn’t wants announced in public. Hey, at least the little girl didn’t say she thought someone’s swim suit was distracting.