What I learned from a burst pipe.

It’s cold in Nashville.

Like single digits cold and we do not know what to do with our lives except hole up and stay home and instagram pictures of a snowflake or a screenshot of the weather app saying “yes, world. It’s THIS COLD in Nashville.”

I’m going to tell this story short and sweet: at lunch time yesterday, a pipe burst in the apartment above me, causing four water hose like streams to pour through my ceiling into the two bathrooms and hallway. 

And here is what I learned:

–> I learned where to turn off the water in my home from the source in the basement. Of course, I learned that from my maintenance lady a few hours after the repair was finished because when I was PANICKING on the phone and she was trying to tell me where it was in the basement, I was like, “I DO NOT SEE IT I DO NOT SEE IT WHY AREN’T YOU HERE YET WATER IS POURING INTO MY HOME!!!!!”

–> I learned to value my abnormally bountiful collection of towels. Some might call it hoarding, I just believe that you can’t have too many towels in the guest bathroom closet. And let me tell you, when water is pouring rolling the hallway, you are grateful that you can build a sandbag wall of towels and hand towels and washcloths and beach towels to protect the living room.

–> I learned that when I find myself in an actual emergency, I do not have the where-with-all to take a picture to #latergram on the internet. Sorry. No visual proof, except the bags under my eyes and the buckling hardwoods.

–> I learned that every situation offers you a chance to see God working on your behalf. This whole thing could have been SO MUCH WORSE. What if we wouldn’t have been home? What if a pipe would have burst over my computer or bed or head? What if the hallway would have, as it did TWO WEEKS AGO, housed all my books and bookshelves? Instead, all that was in the hallway was a few boxes and a plastic bin of all my journals.

–> I learned that pipes can burst in the middle of the afternoon. Did NOT know this before 11:45am Tuesday.

–> I learned that to wash and dry every item made of terrycloth in my home takes three loads of laundry. Just to give you some perspective on the situation.

–> I learned that there is nary an annoying and frustrating moment in my life that I don’t think, “you know, I’m kinda glad this happened because it will make a GREAT blog post.”

You’re welcome, friends.

How’s the weather where you are?

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