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Now. Blue skies are the most glorious thing ever! #grateful #clear #whatwetakeforgranted

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What We Talk About When We Talk About Utilities

Over the course of the past few weeks we have been trying to locate a water leak at my mother's house. We realized there had to be a leak because the water bill was unexplainably high and once we turned off the water meter to check it, there was the dialing still spinning around and around. Since, that day the amount of water-filled Tupperware and plastic buckets next to the sinks and toilets have only increased. As the leak is still being sought out we will only turn on the water at a specified time each day for an hour or so to do laundry and take rushed showers. It’s comical to see all of the containers of water around. It reminds me of that sci-fi movie, Signs, when the little girl collects water throughout the house. We’re making due while we await our master plumber to find the leak. He is almost positive it is under the driveway (of course, hardest place to reach) and so for now, they have begun digging there.

The event that only highlighted my mom’s recent utility troubles is two of my closest friends were also dealing with utility issues at their house as well, although theirs were due to a financial hurdle they were trying to get over. The day they were going in to make arrangements and seek assistance, their electricity got turned off. If you do not know, once this occurs it costs around 800 dollars in order to get your services turned back on. So for a couple weeks, there I was going back and forth from my mother’s house to my best friend’s house, which I usually do, as my schedule has me going across town each day. I would be running into my friend’s house after my workout in the mornings to take a shower, and pass by candles of every size, and every color. This scene added to the comedy of both situations as we live in a prominently Latin-based city. Therefore, the candles that were burning were not just whites, and neutral colored, cinnamon scented. There were red candles with the Virgenicita on them, green candles to “Bring Good Fortune”, a candle to “Bring Back a Long Lost Love”, and a clay skull candle holder. On the nights it was cold my friends’ roommate would turn on the stove and let the heat fill the rooms. I remember when my Grandma use to do the same when I was little.

As I made my way through and between the houses, I quickly was reminded how grateful I am to have such major utilities in my household. There are many times when I have taken running water for granted. I use to turn on the shower and let it run and run while I got my clothes together, set my music to the desired station, and mindlessly looked at Instagram. I confess! There are also times where I would leave lights on only because they made me feel more comfortable to have on, not because I needed them on. Not having these utilities at the flip of a switch or the turn of a knob makes a person grateful. Quick. When both houses were lacking at the same time, it reminded me of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl and how people had to live at the bare minimum, something most had not been doing prior to the event.

We have been living with a strict schedule in order to minimize the amount of water being used. We take showers, wash clothes, and dishes at the same time. We have gotten it down to a good short time and inadvertently, it has made my family and me much more efficient at being aware of our water usage. We have cut down drastically on the amount of dishes that we use, my shower time has decreased, and I no longer toss clean clothes in my hamper anymore. Both events have been an eye-opener for me. One evening whilst dropping off something at my best friend’s place I saw my friend John reading old comics he had. After a brief conversation with him he mentioned to me over the candlelight how he would love to go to the Central library, sign up for a card, and check out some books. The teacher in me silently rejoiced. I decided to take him and his brother to get library cards. Two hours later we were sitting back in the living room, the glow of the candles illuminating our faces and our heads were bowed into our new worlds. The only thing you could hear was the crackle of a flame and the wind up against the windows. It was extremely fulfilling to have that very rare moment with my friends. No cell phones, no technology, just books; paperbacks with stories, and adventures and thoughtful compositions. I felt a feeling of pride and accomplishment in that time that felt so utterly suspended.

I know I have tried to be positive and look at the advantages and gains we can make by utilizing technology, but in this case the temporary absences of technology was a real blessing and wonderful learning experience. I feel more cognitive about how I use the utilities I use to take for granted and I am grateful for such a nice evening to have shared with my friends.