Pairing Up – For Safety AND Good Makeup

Nearly every boy has asked the following question at least once in his life: “Why do girls need to go to the bathroom together?”

No one takes advantage of ‘the buddy system’ quite like a girl. Whether its shopping, coffee trips, or working out, we do nearly everything in pairs- including and especially: going to the bathroom.

To an outsider, in this case a male, it is easy to mistake this act of friendship for a bizarre act of dependence, or even stupidity. The confusion is understandable, seeing as it is a pretty strange thing to do. Half the time, the question is being asked in genuine curiosity. But the other half of the time, its goal is to be insulting. Silly girls one may think, looking at themselves in the mirror together– as if doing so is some sort of malicious act of idiocy.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Maybe we want a break from the madness of the scene outside the bathroom walls, and use the “bathroom” excuse for some time to catch up with each other on recent events; we can talk about those events in a more private setting. And you know what? Sometimes we do use this time to check ourselves in the mirror. Sometimes we might want an extra set of eyes to confirm the perfection of our makeup. But is that really so wrong?

And maybe, just maybe, there is greater depth to this ‘buddy system’ than merely looking at themselves in the mirror together. Part of the time is, admittedly so, to hangout and talk without the fear of others listening in on the conversation. But the other aspects of this ritual of never going to the bathroom alone at a party/event are much more meaningful. Maybe we’re in a setting in which we don’t feel comfortable going off alone. Or maybe we feel awkward being left alone while our “buddy” for the night goes off to the bathroom.

The buddy system is typically, at its origin and core, about protecting each other. Those of us who are headed off to college soon hear again and again about the danger of people taking advantage of you when you wander off; story after story deters young girls from abandoning the buddy system in unfamiliar situations. From a male perspective, protecting each other, whether from a potentially dangerous situation or smeared mascara, is stupid. In the eyes of a boy, “the buddy system” is reduced to looking at themselves in the mirror.

As girls, we love company almost everywhere we go. Being able to go to the bathroom with a friend makes the trip more comfortable and fun. In certain situations, this partnership is an act of protection. In others, the bathroom is the place where we can talk to each other about how one of us is acting, tell each other if a guy is flirting, even spill secrets and exchange stories or gossip or aid each other with makeup and hair. And sometimes it is just to look at ourselves in the mirror.