Jonathan Meyer

One of the best lessons I have ever learned came from a 2019 band event where Mike Carnahan introduced me to the idea of flushing other people’s toilets.

While you might think this is gross and you’re going to stop reading, I urge you to think about the statement a little deeper. Sure, flushing someone else’s toilet is gross and makes you uncomfortable, but it makes other people’s lives so much better. By putting in a little bit of effort, you can save someone else the trouble, that’s the lesson here.

This concept has become a pillar in my life, from the way I work to the way I spend my free time. I hope to serve people around me and create a better world. By no means am I trying to put myself on a moral high ground here, I hope everyone can take more from this idea.

I have noticed this seems to be a rare trait amongst young people. While writing this from a college campus, I have literal experience with flushing other people’s toilets. Young people don’t seem as interested in helping out. It’s always the same small group of people working to better everything around them. In my eyes, that should change.

What would happen if everyone felt a sense of ownership not just for materialistic things around them but the people they live side by side with? What more could we achieve by collectively getting the little thing’s done ahead of time? What can one small action do to improve the lives of those around me? These are all questions I believe the world deserves the answers to.

With that in mind, I’d like to challenge everyone reading this to try flushing someone else’s toilet. By being helpful and doing our part we can change the world, one flush at a time.