Sharing the Jordan River Basin

At some point, you’ve likely found yourself in the unfortunate situation where both you and your partner are brushing your teeth at the same time. Maybe their elbow hit your abdomen or you spit on their toothbrush; regardless, sharing a sink sucks.

If you’re in a polyamorous relationship, this struggle is far worse (and if you aren’t, just imagine it for a second). Sharing that same sink with multiple people on a similar schedule who desire good oral hygiene is the opposite of fun.

That’s the Middle East (not the polyamorous part, the sharing-the-sink part). Well, to be specific, that’s the Levant: Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. They all need to brush their teeth and they’re trying to figure out who gets to use the sink next. Actually they’re all very resource-poor and dry countries that touch this great basin of water unequally and want their fair share. But the analogy isn’t far off.

To continue the analogy: in any relationship, someone is always the more physically gifted one — this is especially true in a relationship of five — and they’re not bashful when it comes to exercising their gifts on the others. Due to fear of retaliation, you and the other three just let them get their way: “Of course, Darling. Use the sink for as long as you need.”