Zen Plumber Going Green
That’s my boy in the picture above. Big sucker. Good looking, even if he is mostly ink now. And he’s a Union Plumber.
I’ve always liked what he has chosen to do. It’s really hard to outsource it and high tech can’t replace a pipe. Besides, he has provided me with the best perspective on plumbing I’ve ever had:
- Dad, to you it’s crap; to me it’s money!
He has another take on green, though, and that is gray! Let me explain:
A year or so ago, the boy was taking a plumbing class where the assignment was to develop a gray water recycling system. This is a system whereby you reuse water that isn’t too contaminated for things like the lawn, plants, etc. This is REALLY being emphasized to all plumbers, now! Several of his classmates really got carried away with drawings and plans, great complications. Unfortunately, Clay ran out of time to do any of it. You know what they say about life being what happens when you are planning something else. He had things come up with his daughter. He had to work overtime. You know how those weeks go.
Anyway, he gets to class with nothing. Nada. Zilch. So, as he’s walking in the door, he grabs a big plastic trash can he sees in the hallway and walks in with it. When it is his turn, he gets up in front of the class, explains that all you need to do is take your washer water outlet hose, run it into the trash can and then take it out and dump it on the lawn.
Silence. No drawings. Nothing but a trashcan and a simple plan.
So, the teacher – a guy who actually IS a plumber – gets up, walks over to him, puts his hand on Clay’s shoulder and says to him, “That’s the best solution anyone has ever come up with for this question. A+.” Then he just turns and smiles at the class.
That’s good Zen, man!
Where has your Zen path ever led?
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Tags: Clayton, Environment, Family, Plumbing, Zen
Thanks for telling us more about your family. I was worried when you talked about Carly and not your son. Yeah, I know. I’m too sensitive….
Jean Browman–Cheerful Monk’s last blog post..Taking Delight in Little Things
Nah, don’t worry. Clay and I are tight! He’s just quieter and Carly is more of a performer. The other side of it is how a dad is with a daughter.
You’ll see both my son and his daughter folded into more and more as I go. I’ve only been blogging for a month.
Good that he takes after the mother!
Want to swap Ranjan with Clay? Ranjan too has tattoos all over his body to start with. I shall try and and post his on one of my futre posts. The similarities end there.
If Ranjan only could plumb! Is that the correct word? If something went wrong in his bath room, Ranjan would yell for his dad to get it fixed! His dad usually does not need to be told about it as his sharp ears pick up leaking faucets like radar picks up enemy craft.
On the other hand, Ranjan’s dad yells for him whenever there is a glitch in the latter’s computer or he is unable to do something simple with the computer.
My youngest brother Barath had a great friend in Manchester. They were neighbours and Mike was a first rate plumber. They parted ways with Barath moving back to Scotland but kept in touch. When subsequently I had work in Manchester, I used to meet up with Mike and we had some great evenings together. We saw Manchester United play some magnificent football together and had the mortification of seeing Arsenal take their pants off one evening. He is sadly no longer with us but I understand that his sons are carrying on the family tradition.
I have a soft corner for plumbers. I look forward to Clay’s and Clay Jr’s pictures.
rummuser’s last blog post..Adoption, A Fascinating Story
The female side is: Although men feel stomped down, WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS! Men naturally want to rule, be the boss, fix everything including any problem we might have. If we didn’t stomp, they’d take over our lives.
Bikehikebabe: OK, so we’re a little insecure. After you stomp us, you still love us, don’t you?
…hmmm…where did I put that picture of the puppy dog with the big brown eyes…
No Clay Jr. yet. But there’s the cutest little Crystina that you’ll get to see pictures of. She is the one I play my nose for.
You are probably thinking that women “want to rule, be the boss, fix everything including any problem you might have”. We’ve only become tough recently. Our mothers weren’t assertive. Look at history. Women have always had to “FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS” The vote, salary = to men’s for same job. Women aren’t President, rarely CEO’s.
I’m not angry. Just giving you a history lesson why we’re this way.
And we stomp but we DO love you.
I’m sorry. I was sending comments about (I guess) your last Post where Carol looked austere & you had the big eyed stomped-upon look.
Bikehikebabe: I’m being silly here. The issues you are talking about are serious issues. It’s absurd that women didn’t have suffrage, that they have unequal pay and that there is a glass ceiling. Many of us men have awakened long back to these facts and don’t need to be fought for them. In fact, we fight for them. Other men, not so much. And, worst of all, it is built into so many of our institutions.
Hillary Clinton’s viable candidacy for the presidency was every bit as big a revolution as Barack Obama’s candidacy. How ridiculous that it should be when so many nations’ world leaders have been women.
Often the best & simplest answers come to us in a heartbeat. That is the essence of heart-driven intelligence.
Thanks for sharing this!
Marianna’s last blog post..Stress & Learning: Crash Landing or Soaring?
I thought it was brilliant! Simple and elegant solutions are the hardest to achieve – unless you are really at home in your skin.