“When the student is ready the teacher will appear” is an old Druid adage. I imagine there are similar versions of this maxim from many philosophers and theosophical sources, but at its heart is the thought that when we are open to ideas and look at things with fresh eyes, there is much to be seen. As we continue to work through the aftermath of the winter storm that created such havoc and sadness in Texas, our eyes have been opened to the need for fresh water every day everywhere.
During that week of water woes, my posse of lovely Rotary ladies did what we always do – we went back and forth all week texting one another, seeing if anyone needed anything; all the normal things good friends do to comfort and stay in touch with one another. This is a group of close friends who always have a positive attitude and a good sense of humor even in the darkest of times. We shared how neighbors stepped up to help fix pipes, lend tools and plumping supplies, share food cooked on their gas grills and so much more.
I text that we forgot to fill the bathtub for toilet flushing water before the storm (won’t let THAT happen again!) and that we were shoveling snow to melt for flushing water until we finally got smart and began bailing water from the neighbor’s pool instead – faster, cleaner and already chlorinated, hahaha. All sorts of funny emojis followed. Then one friend added “first world problem.”
Webster defines “first world problem” as “a usually minor or trivial problem or annoyance experienced by people in relatively affluent or privileged circumstances especially as contrasted with problems of greater social significance facing people in poor and underdeveloped parts of the world.” Light bulb moment! My eyes were opened and my perspective about my four-days-without-a-shower hair changed.
Let me be clear before you get upset with me – the property damage, loss of life, fear and real pain experienced during that week is nothing to laugh about and is certainly not trivial. What was trivial was my personal hassle for a couple days – good heavens, there was a hotel room a mile away with my name on it (which, I must confessed, I finally took advantage of). It really made me think about the millions of people around the world who don’t have access to a toilet, much less a swimming pool full of chlorinated water. The water we waste brushing our teeth is more than many people in the world have for their entire family for a day, and only then after a long trip on foot to a community well.
There’s a lesson to be learned from every tragedy, from every sadness. I was reminded during those four days without water and with iffy power that we have wonderful, generous neighbors – and that we are blessed. It was a teachable moment for me. Hit the reset button.
March is Water and Sanitation Month in Rotary. The Rotary Foundation is working to get Water,…
Read more:: Storm helped us appreciate water, sanitation we sometimes take for granted
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