Monday, April 16, 2007

Things we take for granted: heat, power, and SUMP PUMPS

Amazing how a natural emergency consistently reminds you of:

a) the importance of common welfare
b) the things we take for granted

We've had a bit of local flooding here in NJ. Our neighbors across the street have it worse - basements with 1 - 2 feet of water (and therefore no heat). Out of sheer luck I had cut wood in my shed from a bunch of trees we cleared last year. Our heat is fortunately still running, so we rationed our wood to anyone who has a fireplace.

I'm not looking for any praise, this was a no-brainer for me. But it is nice to see people across-the-board come together during any such difficulty.

What amazes me even more is how reliant I am on things I cannot control... like the power, and the sump pump in our basement. That $100 device is currently all that's left between a miserable, rainy day - and a huge cleanup headache. We've lived in this house for almost 3 years, and until today, I paid it no attention.

This morning, it's the only thing on my mind. Such a simple tool for such a critical task. One more reminder of the many things we take for granted every day.

No comments: