I like to sing, work on my accents and sound effects, talk, and generally make noise while I'm in the shower. When I first got married, I used to whistle or yell to my wife when I needed something, because inevitably when you're sopping wet you will always need something on the other side of the bathroom, like a new bar of soap or the towel which is hanging out of reach. But I digress.
So I would call for her, but she would never answer. I would end up running and sliding across the floor to get what I needed, mad at her for this gross failure of protocol. When I would come out of the bathroom, I would ask her why she didn't come when I called. She would say, "I thought you were talking to yourself and whistling to the music."
I would sigh and huff off. But no matter how many years we were married, this pattern never changed.
So one day, I told her we needed a signal...a certain type of call that would tell her it was different from my usual noise. But what could it be?
It was Danny Kaye that gave me the inspiration, or at least a Danny Kaye movie, The Court Jester. In the movie, the rebel conspirators have a certain whistle that allows the other rebel conspirators to know who's safe to talk to. It was the perfect answer.
I taught my wife the whistle, and we agreed that we'd only use it when in need. To this day, I can whistle that whistle, and no matter where she is in the house, she can hear it and know I need something. Now, that doesn't mean she comes...but at least she heard it!
