Conserve Water By Having a Shower Just Once a Week
Ed, my old neighbor from Saskatchewan, the survivor of many a prairie drought gave me an earful yesterday. I told Ed, that although we have had some rain in July, there still is severe, water, restrictions here in the lower mainland of British Columbia.
My old neighbor is convinced that he could solve the shrinking water levels by a few steps backward. Time was according to Ed that few people had running water in their farmhouse, so they brought a pail or two of water each day to their house. It was sufficient for cooking, washing faces and hands, dishes and drinking water. The first exception, to a pail or two of water a day, was Monday, when extra buckets arrived and heated to wash clothes. The second exception was Saturday when everyone took a bath. Ed is certain that people are no happier or healthier today when everyone showers every day for half an hour. People, when Ed was a kid sixty years ago, never wasted water, but only used it as it was needed.
I have found that once Ed starts telling you how it was, he has forgotten that it was then and not now 2015. Today, we might be able to live on a pail or two of water a day. We could only wash clothes and shower once a week. I’m not even sure Ed is willing to do that. I did tell Ed that I was willing to sacrifice showering every day to conserve water, but showering only once a week would spoil my chances of getting near any other person.
Water restrictions are needful in dry or drought conditions. Most folks recognize that they are for the good everyone. Is it hard to face the truth that there is not a limitless supply of water for our use? Sometimes, we treat our use of water as if we should have all that we want and more. How much water, money, good health, and success do we want? How much of these do we need? Don’t we demand all we want of each of them and more? When is enough – enough? Are contentment and joy found in having all we want and more? A common mindset seems to be that I want what I want when I want it, and that I should have all that I want not less than I want.
Personally, it seems that I have been having all the food that I want and more. Wave some peanuts, or chips or most food at me and I’ll be glad to eat them. There is an old rule of thumb that said, “Leave the table a little hungry.†“Nothing to excess,†was another one. I look like food has mastered me. One would think I live to eat not eat to live. When is enough food enough and when has it become too much food? The Bible gives this insight, “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.” In times of drought, we agree that we need to conserve water, but when there are no water restrictions, we each still need to protect against using too much water.
