… it’s not much of a problem. Those were the words of a plumber who installed this instahot water dispenser. When he tested the his handiwork, there was a leak. “Drat!” was my response. I was really thinking some stronger four letter word. I got way ahead of myself. Is it a defective tank or hose? Does this plumber know what he’s doing? Well, it was neither material failure nor incompetence. A connection needed to be tightened. It didn’t even take a wrench. The plumber said over-tightening is just as bad as under-tightening so it’s always wise to take your time.
What he said next was worth the trip charge. “If the solution is a paper towel, it’s not much of a problem.” I’ve repeated this to myself so often that it’s become a mantra. It’s like the Scottish philosopher, David Hume said, “A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.”
About my desire to be “in hot water”? I’ve enjoyed the luxury of an instahot dispenser for a long time. When the old one died just before Christmas, I decided to wait until after the holidays to replace it. Extra hassles at a busy time of year seemed unwise. And now much of a hardship could it be to do without? After several weeks of making do, without, I decided I wanted to do with. I missed this little luxury every day- often multiple times. I’m cleared-eyed on this; an instahot is a want, not a need. Wants should be indulged thoughtfully otherwise the line between necessary and nice is blurred and eventually obliterated.
And then you really are in hot water.