The dark cold months here in Woodgate inspire me to do something that rarely happens during the light warmth of summer: turn on the tube. We’re just not big television people because we spend most of our time outdoors.
So that’s how I happened to be watching 60 Minutes recently (bowed my head in a moment of silence for my hero Andy Rooney) when Leslie Stahl was conducting an interview on droughts and the fact that our planet is literally running out of water.
Oh. No. I mean, we do listen to the news in the wee a.m. hours so this isn’t a huge surprise, but when the raw facts are presented by such a reputable gal as Leslie it sheds a whole new light on things.
Apparently, in an effort to hydrate the bazillion crops produced in “lush” California (seemed a bit oxymoron-ish to me) a huge drilling process is necessary.
These folks are tapping into the earth’s sponge-like core and sucking out enormous amounts of H2O because Mama Nay just ain’t keeping up to speed with the need.
Not just here of course… China’s doing the exact same drilling.
And the result is horrible; Mother Earth is caving in on herself.
Now maybe the rest of you toss and turn at night envisioning the Zombie Apocalypse or the invasion of terrorists, but this gal has an incredible fear of living in a world with no water.
Clearly I need to find a support group. Hi. My name Is Jan, and I am a waterholic. I shower daily, barely paying attention as all that beautiful clean water seeps down the drain until my ideal temperature is achieved.
My washing machine runs constantly and the dishwasher is humming and whirring as I type this.
Our vehicles get hosed and scrubbed regularly and I’m not shy when watering the oh-so-pretty—though admittedly inedible—flowers of warmer months. My water crimes are countless.
Really, is it any wonder why we are so hated by third world populations?
We’ve all seen the commercials depicting the small children, fly-ridden faces, scooping filthy water into disgusting pails and being forced to drink the stuff.
How must they feel knowing that we water-spoiled Wes-terners literally pour thousands of clean water down drains on a daily basis?
In fact, we sit upon a bowl of this liquid gold, POO IN IT, and casually flush it away, where it’s immediately replaced by yet another clean bowl? Dear Lord, we are wasters. And I for one am not proud.
However, I’m a water cripple. A hopeless junkie, if you will. And this junkie prays daily (and quite selfishly) that the planet’s water supply lasts as long I do because there’s no turning back now.
I can’t even use a bath towel twice, not to mention two-day-old clothes.
Shame on me for sure. I will hang my clean head, right next to my clean towels and clothes, in a moment of quiet reflection.
And right after I pour my giant glass of water, which is never far from my side…just in case.