The one with the masculine voice

It began about a week and a half ago, when the drain in the basement overflowed. And I do mean overflowed. It was right after I got home from my DC/NY trip and we were forced to monitor our water usage. Short showers (which is a difficult task for me), small laundry loads, letting the yellow mellow (which totally grosses me out), and remembering to turn the water off during teeth brushing time. This became the new way of life around the Tapley house until…

Tonight…

I got home from work and walked downstairs to let the doggies outside and was overcome with the smell of sewage. I let the doggies outside as planned and then walked over to the drain to check it out. It appeared as though it had, at some point during the day, overflowed some. I considered this, but only made a mental note to inform Mom and Pop when they got home.

The information came when Mom got home and we went to check on said drain yet again. It had water sitting in it this time, so Mom used the ‘sucker’ and got it out. Then, however, the drain filled up immediately again, only this time with more water than before. Now we were in for it.

At some point it seemed under control, so I came upstairs and started making dinner. Just as dinner was finishing I heard a loud shout of profanity from down below. The drain was flooding. We used the ‘sucker’ again and started moving all of my material possessions out of the way. We were barely staying above water and we found out Dad was on his way home.

By the time Dad got home the water was rushing. The City of Independence finally came out, about an hour and a half after they were first called. They took pictures of the water in the basement, which wasn’t as bad as Uncle Ted’s five inches next door, and then went outside to climb down into the man hole. Perhaps they met the Ninja Turtles down there and they are actually the ones who deserve my appreciation? After some work, the water in the basement miraculously lowered and got sucked back into the drain and disappeared. Crisis over.

The entire time that I was down below working hard with my parents to keep the water at bay I heard something in my head. It was a masculine voice explaining what I would one day realize from the situation and how it would impact the way that I view my parents, the world, and myself. I believe the voice was that of Daniel Stern, Narrator of The Wonder Years. I probably should have heard a feminine voice, my voice, telling me these things. I probably should have also been referring to myself as Hilary and not Kevin, but it’s the lessons that are most important.

I realized, yet again, how blessed I am to have a family that welcomed me home and works hard to protect me (and all my material possessions).  I realized how important it is to set aside petty problems and silly differences in times of need. I realized how proud I am of my parents, individually and as a unit. Having been married and now living with them again, makes me see them in a much different way and watching them tonight I was impressed at how well they worked together towards a common goal. I also realized how I often seem to magnify my own problems and down play the problems of others.  I constantly have to remind myself that “everyone has problems- the world is full of problems.” (Merlin from the Sword In the Stone) Along with that, I constantly have to remind myself that I have choices.

So, thanks to: Mom and Pop, the City of Independence, and Daniel Stern.