1. DENIAL – “I am fine. This is not a big deal. I need a new well, so I call some guys in the phone book for quotes and go with the most reasonable bid. This will be over in two weeks.”
2. ANGER – “Why did Contractor A not return my 15 messages left with his office manager? Why did Contractor B tell me he “would be by Wednesday” when he already had plane tickets to the Bahamas? Why did Contractor C insist Contractor A is really the guy for the job, but will help me if I can’t get hold of him … and I can’t get hold of him, but he still doesn’t want to come out to do a quote? Have my temples always pulsated like this and I just never noticed?”
3. BARGAINING – “Maybe I don’t actually need water piped into my house. Maybe I can just bathe with aloe baby wipes. I mean, lots of people live without indoor plumbing. I have a nice rain barrel already, that should be plenty.”
4. DEPRESSION – “Yes, officer, there is a good reason I am lying in the road. I am hoping a vehicle will come by and run over me. I would rather taste death than make one more phone call to Contractor A who has been telling me he will definitely be out next Wednesday to start — for the past 12 weeks. I have written out my will and left it on the kitchen table. I want to be buried at sea. Ha ha. Wouldn’t that be ironic? To be buried in water after dying because you can’t get anyone out to your house to dig a well? No, officer, I am not resisting arrest. They have running water in jail, right? I’ll go.”
5. ACCEPTANCE – “I can see now that it is God’s will for me to live in a house with orange water, with water pressure equal to what you would get from tossing spoonfuls of liquid into a cup. I embrace the reality that I don’t need to understand everything: why men whose profession is specifically to drill wells for homeowners would be so averse to the idea of actually coming to a home and drilling a well. I celebrate my solidarity with mid-western farmers ravaged by drought, with the world’s poor who have no running water. I acknowledge the mystery of — goddammit, the neighbors have their sprinkler going, I want water too — get me the Yellow Pages!
(Postscript: A bad water day in North America is still better than a good water day in many other parts of the world. Please consider making a donation to Charity:Water to help provide clean water to those who have none).
We started in April, expecting all done by June 30th. It is now August 14 and we have at least until October to wait…my work rooms are in accessible, bedroom only just about and new electric bed fro disabled waiting to be built in situ. Showeroom (nee bathroom) is finally floored tomorrow, fingers crossed. Oh I know hoe you feel.