If you’re a creative person, it’s hard not to make things. I remember making dolls from aluminum foil, socks, rags and riding them in a shoebox car. My mom wouldn’t buy me a Barbie no more than she’d purchase a mop. Just a mad woman having her children scrub the floor with an old dishrag!

During covid, I made masks that I damn near passed out from wearing. I made sure those invisible germs weren’t getting inside, they were so well-padded. Honestly, I can make a good number of things very well. One question I had during that awful time was, how do you make toilet paper? People were cuttin’ the fool over toilet paper, weren’t they?

Must I reveal what my mom used upon running out of this necessary staple? I will not! My thing was, Why are we out of toilet paper? Again. I knew then that wasn’t normal. How could it be? Ten cans of Starkist Tuna in the cabinet and no toilet paper?

You know what’s worse than running out of toilet paper though? When your mama sends you to the neighbor to borrow a roll. I don’t think folk do that anymore. I hope not. However! My other thought was, upon walking to borrow the toilet paper was Now everybody knows we gotta doodoo. ‘Cause you can get by with no. 1 but for sho’ not no. 2. Okay?!

And I apologize for taking you down this former broken path of my life. I had no idea what I’d say at the outset of this. But won’t God fix it?

Nonetheless, I can make a good number of things, just not toilet paper.