We take a lot of things for granted…don’t we?
Things like clean water (the kind that fills our toilets), clean air, food on the table, a faithful and supportive spouse…etc.
I had to throw in that last one since I’ve had a bit of personal trouble with it.
The other day I returned home from a short trip and discovered something not all that pleasant.
I had forgotten to pay the water bill and it was cut. Not a drop could be coaxed out of the llave (or, spigot).
I did still have a bit of clean water in the john, but who wants to brush their teeth with that?
Well, I quickly paid the bill (online) and reported it, but then it proceeded to take almost two days for AyA to get the water flowing again.
Two days!
And during that time I suffered.
There is something degrading about not having access to water…right inside the comforts of your home. Even though all I had to do was walk a block to where I could purchase plenty of it for a nominal sum.
Woe is me right.
I know there might be someone who reads this and thinks to him or her self…that’s nothing, during hurricane what’s-her-name we were without water for a friggin week!
Yea, and how did it feel?
Food is one thing. Plenty of us could probably stand to go a bit of time without that.
Water is a whole nuther non-laughing matter.
You can go about 3 weeks without food. But only 3 days without water…or so I read this morning on the internet.
Oh, 3 minutes without air…in case you’re wondering.
Why it’s called the rule of 3’s.
Do you know that in some places on this earth, there is NO readily access to clean and safe water, whatsoever.
Just check out these water facts from the site charity:water.
I read a moving article today by charity:water founder (Scott Harrison) entitled The Last Walk for Water.
It is about a 13-year old girl sent out to get water, which entailed a long (10-mile), gruesome and dangerous walk in the blazing heat of Ethiopia. But the clay pot she was carrying fell and broke.
Her humiliation at failing at her task motivated her to hang herself from a nearby tree.
As the title to this post suggests, it’s easy for us to take things for granted.
When we have them readily available at our disposal. It is almost unimaginable that they wouldn’t be.
But for many not having water (or food, or shelter) is a daily experience.
I started this blog on the premise that a good life is an impactful one. I talk a lot about that.
But, as we all know, actions can speak louder than words.
So, I want this blog to not only talk about impact mindfulness, but practice it as well.
In that light I have launched a modest charity:water campaign.
The goal is a meager $1,000.
But once success is achieved with that, we will certainly “up the anty.”
The campaign is Don’t Take Water for Granted.
But water is certainly a great place to start.
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