---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bathing is even more embarrassing…"
description: "\"“Bathing is even more embarrassing, because I have to strip down to my birthday suit in front of a nurse. Now, there are some things that never die, so..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/sara-gruen-3385_bathing_bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-becaus_1013476.png"
---

#  Bathing is even more embarrassing, because I have to strip…

![“Bathing is even more embarrassing, because I have to strip down to my birthday suit in front of a nurse. Now, there are some things that never die, so even though I'm in my nineties my sap sometimes rises. I can't help it. They always pretend not to notice. They're trained that way, I suppose…” quote by Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/sara-gruen-3385_bathing_bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-becaus_1013476.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/sara-gruen-3385_bathing_bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-becaus_1013476.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/sara-gruen-3385_bathing_bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-becaus_1013476.png)

> ““Bathing is even more embarrassing, because I have to strip down to my birthday suit in front of a nurse. Now, there are some things that never die, so even though I'm in my nineties my sap sometimes rises. I can't help it. They always pretend not to notice. They're trained that way, I suppose, although pretending not to notice is almost worse than noticing. It means they consider me nothing more than a harmless old man sporting a harmless old penis that still gets uppity once in a while. Although if one of them took it seriously and tried to do something about it, the shock would probably kill me.””

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker describes the vulnerability and embarrassment of aging bodies, especially in medical settings, and the tension between societal denial and personal desire.

**In simple terms:** Aging can feel humiliating, especially when others ignore it.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge and respect the dignity of older adults.

Themes

aging body image vulnerability healthcare humor

Mood

empathetic light‑hearted

Type

personal reflective

When to use this quote

- hospital visits
- elder care advocacy
- personal memoir writing

Key Concepts

gerontology social stigma sexuality in old age

Questions to Reflect On

- What can healthcare providers do to reduce embarrassment for older patients?
- How does humor help cope with aging discomfort?

A Different Perspective

May overlook diverse experiences of aging across cultures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bathing/) [Bathing Embarrassing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bathing-embarrassing-2215283/) [Harmless Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmless-old-2215284/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Old Penis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-penis-2215285/) [Worse Noticing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-noticing-2215286/)

## Related quotes

> [Although, pretending not to notice is almost worse than noticing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/although-pretending-not-to-notice-is-almost-worse-than-noticing/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“It's like Charlie told the cop. For this old man, this is home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/it-s-like-charlie-told-the-cop-for-this-old-man-this-is-home/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my-2/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“First rule of bathing,” Gavril said. “If you can’t smell yourself anymore, it’s time to wash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcclellan/first-rule-of-bathing-gavril-said-if-you-can-t-smell-yourself-anymore/)

[Brian McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcclellan/)

> [But you don't do it. Because guys like us, Red, we know there's a third choice. An alternative to staying simon-pure or bathing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/but-you-don-t-do-it-because-guys-like-us-red-we-know-there-s-a-third/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Are we going buck-naked, or are we wearing like a bathing suit?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-disick/are-we-going-buck-naked-or-are-we-wearing-like-a-bathing-suit/)

[Scott Disick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-disick/)

> [I don't want to look like Daisy Duke every day. I don't want to wear a bathing suit every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/i-don-t-want-to-look-like-daisy-duke-every-day-i-don-t-want-to-wear-a/)

[Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/)

> [I think it really takes about 15-20 selfies that someone takes on their phone before they post the right one. There was this selfie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-think-it-really-takes-about-15-20-selfies-that-someone-takes-on/)

[Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/)

> [I played to 20,000 people every day because people were walking on 5th Ave going to and from their jobs, and my sounds were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlemagne-palestine/i-played-to-20-000-people-every-day-because-people-were-walking-on/)

[Charlemagne Palestine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlemagne-palestine/)

> [“You will be leaving, of course." "Or I could help you." "I've had a bit of practice bathing myself and I think I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/you-will-be-leaving-of-course-or-i-could-help-you-i-ve-had-a-bit-of/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [I was in Florida with Burt Stern, the photographer who shot Marilyn Monroe on the beach with a sweater, and we smoked a joint.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanna-arquette/i-was-in-florida-with-burt-stern-the-photographer-who-shot-marilyn/)

[Rosanna Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanna-arquette/)

> [My Dad was so open creatively that I was off in search of black turtleneck bathing suits with long sleeves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-unit-zappa/my-dad-was-so-open-creatively-that-i-was-off-in-search-of-black/)

[Moon Unit Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-unit-zappa/)

> [Be kind to all beings, this is more meritorious than bathing at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage and donating money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/be-kind-to-all-beings-this-is-more-meritorious-than-bathing-at-the/)

[Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/)

> [Eating, bathing, going to the toilet, talking, thinking, and many other activities related to the body are all work. How is it that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/eating-bathing-going-to-the-toilet-talking-thinking-and-many-other/)

[Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/)

> [So your life becomes a vital celebration, your relationship becomes a festive thing. Whatsoever you do, every moment is a festival. You eat, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/so-your-life-becomes-a-vital-celebration-your-relationship-becomes-a/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

## More by Sara Gruen

> [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [The sky the sky- same as it always was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/the-sky-the-sky-same-as-it-always-was/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [Don't want to get tipsy and break a hip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/don-t-want-to-get-tipsy-and-break-a-hip/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [When two people are meant to be together, they will be together. It's fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/when-two-people-are-meant-to-be-together-they-will-be-together-it-s/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my-2/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [My platitudes don't hold their interest and I can hardly blame them for that. My real stories are all out of date. So what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/my-platitudes-don-t-hold-their-interest-and-i-can-hardly-blame-them/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“Then she turns to Midnight and perches delicately on his lowered back. He rises, arches his neck, and carries Marlena from the big top.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/then-she-turns-to-midnight-and-perches-delicately-on-his-lowered-back/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“And don’t miss Frank Otto, the world’s most tattooed man! Held hostage in the darkest jungles of Borneo and tried for a crime he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/and-don-t-miss-frank-otto-the-world-s-most-tattooed-man-held-hostage/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [How is it that everyone on this train has so much alcohol?" "We always head to Canada at the beginning of the season," she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/how-is-it-that-everyone-on-this-train-has-so-much-alcohol-we-always/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“The person following is never in control, which she knows full well and which is exactly why she does it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/the-person-following-is-never-in-control-which-she-knows-full-well/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“I open the orangutan's door and set a pan of fruits, vegetables, and nuts on the floor. As I close it, her long arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/i-open-the-orangutan-s-door-and-set-a-pan-of-fruits-vegetables-and/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [Being the survivor stinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/being-the-survivor-stinks/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“He whispers in her ear, and she basks in his attention, trumpeting happily at the sight of him. Doesn't she remember?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/he-whispers-in-her-ear-and-she-basks-in-his-attention-trumpeting/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [... a gaggle of old ladies is glued to the window at the end of the hall like children or jailbirds. They're spidery and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/a-gaggle-of-old-ladies-is-glued-to-the-window-at-the-end-of-the-hall/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [“age is a terrible theif”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/age-is-a-terrible-theif/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

[Explore all 127 Sara Gruen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

## More Bathing quotes

> [So your life becomes a vital celebration, your relationship becomes a festive thing. Whatsoever you do, every moment is a festival. You eat, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/so-your-life-becomes-a-vital-celebration-your-relationship-becomes-a/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [Eating, bathing, going to the toilet, talking, thinking, and many other activities related to the body are all work. How is it that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/eating-bathing-going-to-the-toilet-talking-thinking-and-many-other/)

[Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/)

> [Be kind to all beings, this is more meritorious than bathing at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage and donating money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/be-kind-to-all-beings-this-is-more-meritorious-than-bathing-at-the/)

[Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/)

> [My Dad was so open creatively that I was off in search of black turtleneck bathing suits with long sleeves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-unit-zappa/my-dad-was-so-open-creatively-that-i-was-off-in-search-of-black/)

[Moon Unit Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-unit-zappa/)

> [I was in Florida with Burt Stern, the photographer who shot Marilyn Monroe on the beach with a sweater, and we smoked a joint.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanna-arquette/i-was-in-florida-with-burt-stern-the-photographer-who-shot-marilyn/)

[Rosanna Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanna-arquette/)

> [“You will be leaving, of course." "Or I could help you." "I've had a bit of practice bathing myself and I think I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/you-will-be-leaving-of-course-or-i-could-help-you-i-ve-had-a-bit-of/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [I played to 20,000 people every day because people were walking on 5th Ave going to and from their jobs, and my sounds were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlemagne-palestine/i-played-to-20-000-people-every-day-because-people-were-walking-on/)

[Charlemagne Palestine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlemagne-palestine/)

> [I think it really takes about 15-20 selfies that someone takes on their phone before they post the right one. There was this selfie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-think-it-really-takes-about-15-20-selfies-that-someone-takes-on/)

[Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/)

> [I don't want to look like Daisy Duke every day. I don't want to wear a bathing suit every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/i-don-t-want-to-look-like-daisy-duke-every-day-i-don-t-want-to-wear-a/)

[Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/)

> [Are we going buck-naked, or are we wearing like a bathing suit?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-disick/are-we-going-buck-naked-or-are-we-wearing-like-a-bathing-suit/)

[Scott Disick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-disick/)

> [But you don't do it. Because guys like us, Red, we know there's a third choice. An alternative to staying simon-pure or bathing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/but-you-don-t-do-it-because-guys-like-us-red-we-know-there-s-a-third/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“First rule of bathing,” Gavril said. “If you can’t smell yourself anymore, it’s time to wash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcclellan/first-rule-of-bathing-gavril-said-if-you-can-t-smell-yourself-anymore/)

[Brian McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcclellan/)

> [I also remember riding home from a wonderful day with only my bathing shorts, losing the chain of my bicycle, having no hand breaks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/volker-bertelmann/i-also-remember-riding-home-from-a-wonderful-day-with-only-my-bathing/)

[Volker Bertelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/volker-bertelmann/)

> [When the tide goes out, you get to see who's swimming naked. PIMCO has had its bathing suit on for a long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/when-the-tide-goes-out-you-get-to-see-who-s-swimming-naked-pimco-has/)

[Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/)

> [I wasn't going to let a little thing like a hurricane keep me from wearing my bathing suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-longoria/i-wasn-t-going-to-let-a-little-thing-like-a-hurricane-keep-me-from/)

[Eva Longoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-longoria/)

[Browse all 135 Bathing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bathing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Bathing is even more embarrassing, because I have to strip down to my birthday suit in front of a nurse. Now, there are some things that never die, so even though I'm in my nineties my sap sometimes rises. I can't help it. They always pretend not to notice. They're trained that way, I suppose, although pretending not to notice is almost worse than noticing. It means they consider me nothing more than a harmless old man sporting a harmless old penis that still gets uppity once in a while. Although if one of them took it seriously and tried to do something about it, the shock would probably kill me.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sara Gruen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-because-i-have-to-strip-down-to-my/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bathing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-because-i-have-to-strip-down-to-my/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/sara-gruen-3385_bathing_bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-becaus_1013476.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/sara-gruen-3385_bathing_bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-becaus_1013476.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/sara-gruen-3385_bathing_bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-becaus_1013476.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Bathing is even more embarrassing, because I have to strip down to my birthday suit in front of a nurse…” — Sara Gruen",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Sara Gruen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Bathing is even more embarrassing, because...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-because-i-have-to-strip-down-to-my/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/bathing-is-even-more-embarrassing-because-i-have-to-strip-down-to-my/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
