Are Bathtubs a Measure of a Culture?

I do so miss this bathtub. It was in a rental on Jefferson St., Charlottesville. It was long enough to let you stretch out entirely. There was a gas hot water heater, fully adjustable, and also in the apartment. Using this as a morning ritual really helped set a tone for the day.

I don’t like the drift in bath philosophy I see in beach rentals, a shower with a tub as an afterthought. This is a nation with no time for the simple pleasures. You need the simple pleasures as a foundation for the more complex ones.

A few months back, a local builder was showing me pictures of a custom house he was building. The bath was very large and essentially vertical, deeper than an average person’s height. It was designed for a family moving here from Japan, where it is obvious that bath traditions still rule.

Old Postcards - City Lights Books

There is an "antique" store in Charlottesville that I can usually find some interesting post cards. They are old, but generally unused, which means I can mail them to someone.
I was surprised to find this one. Its a picture of City Lights Books in San Fransisco, probably from the 70's based on the appearance. While the card had been "used," it hadn't been mailed. The back of the card had a poem written in magic marker. I can only speculate on the source, and I certainly can't speculate on the meaning.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti founded the store in 1953. He also spent some time here in Charlottesville while teaching a course at UVA. He shared a house with a friend on Park Street, which is about two blocks from where I'm living.
I also included a detail scan of the people in front of the store.