The Plumber

Since this episode is fresh in my mind, I am feeling the need to document last nights events.  There is always a lesson hiding in every experience.  Sometimes you have to search hard to find the lesson and sometimes it slaps you right across the face.  My face is still stinging.

I find many things are vital to a functioning household.  Most of the time,  we do not realize how vital these things are until they are not functioning.  Take plumbing for example.  When the kitchen sink isn't working, it seems like the whole world revolves around pipes.  Having running water and a sink that drains properly ascends to ultimate importance when you experience the mountain of dishes that can be amassed in one short hour in this hungry household.  I never knew we had so many dishes.

When we came home from spring break, I cleaned the refrigerator of all the nasty, stinky leftovers gathering mold to make room for the fresh food.  First lesson, do not stick loads of left over meat down the garbage disposal... especially pulled pork.  If your only option is to smell bad meat in the trash for a week until the trash man comes, choose this over clogging your pipes.  This is probably obvious to most people, but I will stress it nonetheless.

Since I did not heed this prudent bit of advice, I found myself looking for a plumber.  For years, this has always conjured up great anxiety and panic.  It is extremely hard to find a good and trustworthy plumber who can find the problem and fix it with great skill and speed...and one who will not charge you up the kazoo.  So, I was breathing a sigh of relief since I had found that skilled, trustworthy plumber a few years ago.  Only he was not answering the phone and his website had vanished from the internet.  It became clear after a frantic day of trying to get a hold of him, that he was out of business or moved from the area.  Now...it was time to panic.

Desperation causes many reasonable and otherwise logical, wise individuals to resort to stupidity.  At the very least, desperation equals bad decision-making.  If you can avoid being in this state of desperation, I highly recommend it.  I did something completely useless and stupid in my desperation to have a functioning sink.  I called a plumber I had reservations about.  I never thought he was an expert plumber, but I was desperate and thought I had a text book clog.  The plumbing 101 type.  That was until the "plumber" came... and I use this term very loosely.

After 45 minutes of clanking pipes and disassembling, he left.  He turned off the water and said he would be back tomorrow with someone who could fix the clog. I started having serious reservations about my bad idea when he arrived with his fly unzipped.  It remained unzipped the entire time he clanged and banged under the sink.  What was I thinking?

The obvious escaped the "plumber."  It was dinner time and I had a hungry family to feed.  Not to mention, a baby to fix bottles for with no running water.  I guess he thought the hose would work just fine.  Those of you who were in the kitchen after he left, will remember my tirade.  I just want to clarify lesson number two...know who you are!  Do not pretend to be someone you are not.  If you are not good at something, it's OK.  Find an expert.  Just do not pretend to be an expert in an area you have no business being in.  If you want to be an expert, take the time and trouble to know your craft.  Be the best that you can be in whatever you decide to do.  If you are not good at something, be humble enough to admit it and do not burden others with your lack of expertise. This lack of humility only leads to disaster.

Lesson number three concerns desperation.  Avoid it at all costs.  If you are feeling desperate, seek the advise of someone who is more clear headed than you.  You will thank yourself for this and most likely receive prudent counsel.  Seek an expert if you can.  You will avoid the stinging from the obvious slap in the face of this life lesson.  Your face will thank you.

Love
MOM