Refusing To Get "Pooped"

Are you sitting down? Well, actually, even if you are, I'm not going to show you what I want to show you just yet. I'm going to preface it with a little anecdote that might help you take in the information I'm about to give.

It was a fine water-saving day. I followed all my little rules like shutting off the water when brushing my teeth and I instructed the little one not to let the sink continue to run when he's finished washing his hands. Hey, it's a slow process, but we're headed in the right direction. Then, my potty trainer had a code brown. Needless to say, it was upsetting for both of us. Of course in an effort to be supportive, I kept my tone easy-breezy and we headed into the bathroom so I could perform the ultimate super-parent doody... er- I mean, DUTY, and clean him off while not for one second making him feel like this was anything to be ashamed of. And boy did I do a great job. One arduous cleanup session and poof! Psychological crisis averted! Then I noticed the sink.

I had turned on the sink in order to wash my hands (I'll let you guess WHY I had to wash my hands in the midst of all of this) only to immediately continue tending to his needs. Are you going to make me say it? Don't make me say it!!! Ugh! Okay... I left the sink running. The whole time. THE WHOLE TIME!

I don't know why I'm taking it so hard. Well, maybe I do. Here I am, trying to be a better person so that I can pass on a better world to future generations and one brush with poop turns me back into the same wasteful person I thought I'd written off.

I guess I'm telling this story because, if you're anything like me, you look at the list of things you should be doing to conserve water or save the planet or maintain a healthy lifestyle, help your fellow man and it gets overwhelming. And then, if you're anything like me, it just gets to be too much and you just say screw it and you let the water run, throw your used batteries in the trash, eat a box of doughnuts and give your neighbor the finger. But I refuse to take this experience and let it prove to myself that this is impossible. However, I also will stop telling myself that anything like this will ever happen again. I am not perfect. I am not an extremist. I'm just a person who is doing her best to hand over a better planet. And, despite all my flaws (particularly when there is poop loose in the room), I'm not even going to consider that what I'm doing means nothing. Screw that.

Okay, still sitting? Good. Now for the link to your "water footprint." (I know, "Gulp!") This gives examples of how much water is used, not only directly by you, say when you brush your teeth or take a shower, but also indirectly. For example, it takes 37 gallons of water to make my beloved morning coffee. Then the chart offers alternatives that use less water, like tea. I know, some of us would rather never shower again to make up for the water before giving up their morning Frappa Cappa Mocha whatever. You'll know if I do - this blog will get bitchy real fast!

So, how is the poop story related to this link (below)? The point is we should all remember that we're not perfect. Life is always going to throw curve balls or random bodily functions at us that cause us to mess up. Take in the information and do what you can. It means something.

http://www.good.is/post/transparency-how-much-water-do-you-use/