Hot Water Rage
Energized. Productive. Awake. These three words are not usually words one would use to describe a typical college student's Saturday morning. However, this past week I was energized and ready to seize the day; carpe diem as my Pinterest newsfeed regularly reminds me.
I woke up (before my alarm, would you believe that?) feeling relaxed and comfortable in my significantly undersized dorm room bed, which does not happen very often, especially before eight in the morning. I decided I would get my daily workout in early. I had never been to the gym before four or five in the afternoon, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Wow... I. was. impressed. The number of blessed souls in the gym that morning was minimal. I jumped for joy (not literally, that would be embarrassing) that I wouldn't have to fight for a spot to put my yoga mat or for a spot on the treadmill. Plus, I would be able to try out some more machines because I didn't have to worry about people watching me. The gym can be a scary place.
I finished my workout, stretched out my muscles, and let me tell you, I felt awesome.
Then, I realized what time it was. I had to be at a chemistry review session... in thirty minutes. I'll just have to shower later. Ew, but okay I'll deal. I grabbed breakfast to go and speed-walked to chemistry. I was feeling very confident afterwards, and I decided to go ahead and tackle a few practice exams while I had the time. I have all day, right?
After spending a few hours in the basement of Atherton, where time has no meaning and days have no beginning or end, I felt my stomach start to rumble. I headed back up to my room to see if any of my friends were looking to get dinner.
Luckily, I found two of my good friends, and they suggested that we try something new. I don't eat downtown a lot, but Green Bowl sounded good to me. Right then and there, anything would have sounded good to me. It was about five-thirty when we made our way out the door.
Green Bowl definitely gets a 10/10 from me. For those of you who have never been there, it is an all-you-can-eat make-your-own stir fry. It's awesome, but it takes forever, which can be kind of nice because you get a chance to digest before you go in for your next bowl.
We ended up eating for two hours, and by the time I got back, I was so ready for a shower. When I say so ready, I mean I've been waiting all day to shower and I hate myself for being gross and stinky.
BUT GUESS WHAT
Maintenance was fixing the water in Atherton because we had been taking lukewarm showers for about a week. I was glad they were fixing the water, but COME ON. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAN.
I checked my group chat for some news. My RA said the water was out from 6pm to 8pm. Perfect. I'll be able to shower soon. I decided to do a bit of homework to kill the time.
At 8pm, there were complaints streaming through the group chat that the water was freezing and had no pressure. Ugh, I'm still disgusting. Just a little bit longer. My RA suggested that we just let the water run for a while until it got warm.
Long story short, the water never got warm, and I got so frustrated that I went to bed around 10 pm, still hating my current state of cleanliness. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and gave up. I set my alarm for 8am so that I could finally shower before I went to church.
I spent thirty minutes letting water run in about six different bathrooms on three different floors. THERE WAS NO HOT WATER. I was livid. (I may seem sweet and slow to anger, but I am passionate about my hot water.) I texted the group chat, looking for answers. My RA again suggested letting the water run, but I knew better. I wasn't going to have hot water, and I was pissed.
The water in our building did not come back on until one in the afternoon on Sunday. Grouchily, I slung on my robe, grabbed my shower kit, and finally, FINALLY, got my long hot shower.
Looking back on the situation, I definitely overreacted. I'm no beauty queen, and I can definitely last a day or two without a shower (no matter how disgusting I feel). The amount of rage and number of complaints from the students in our hallway was not very encouraging for those who were desperately trying to fix our situation. However, none of us realized just how hard they were trying; we were only thinking of ourselves.
A few hours without hot water is a small price to pay when those who maintain our building work day in and day out to make our lives as students cleaner, healthier, and overall better.
As human beings, we tend to be selfish; we think about ourselves and tend to ignore the kind gestures of others. Did you thank the student who held the door open for you? A genuine thank you? Not just a quick "thanks" and scurry away? I, myself, am guilty as charged. I spent Sunday morning raging over the lack of hot water when I could have been taking the day in and enjoying it for what it was. I could have been thankful for the things I did wake up with like heat, electricity, and life.
There are many things we take for granted and many people we take for granted, but today, I want to highlight the help staff in my building. While I complained and fretted over the hot water issue, they work diligently to improve my situation. They don't know anything about me, yet they spend their entire days working to make me happy.
When I really think about it, I'm appalled by my own reaction to a very trivial matter. I knew the hot water would come back eventually, I just had to be patient. I also should have been thankful for those who were working their hardest to help me.
In honor of our renewed hot water, I wanted to dedicate this post to the help staff in Atherton halls. They deserve our encouragement and our abundant thank yous. This week I decided to make a tribute to them: to thank them for everything they do for us.
Although offering snacks to the help staff is only a small gesture, they deserve recognition from the students who live in my hall. They deserve thank yous from each and every one of us.
This post serves as a reminder to appreciate the people around you, whether you know them or not. I encourage you to reflect on your situation and ask yourself, "Am I really treating people the way they deserve to be treated?"
If you treat every stranger like you would treat your boss, the world might just become a better place.
Say thank you. Appreciate others. Spread the kindness.
I woke up (before my alarm, would you believe that?) feeling relaxed and comfortable in my significantly undersized dorm room bed, which does not happen very often, especially before eight in the morning. I decided I would get my daily workout in early. I had never been to the gym before four or five in the afternoon, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Wow... I. was. impressed. The number of blessed souls in the gym that morning was minimal. I jumped for joy (not literally, that would be embarrassing) that I wouldn't have to fight for a spot to put my yoga mat or for a spot on the treadmill. Plus, I would be able to try out some more machines because I didn't have to worry about people watching me. The gym can be a scary place.
I finished my workout, stretched out my muscles, and let me tell you, I felt awesome.
Then, I realized what time it was. I had to be at a chemistry review session... in thirty minutes. I'll just have to shower later. Ew, but okay I'll deal. I grabbed breakfast to go and speed-walked to chemistry. I was feeling very confident afterwards, and I decided to go ahead and tackle a few practice exams while I had the time. I have all day, right?
After spending a few hours in the basement of Atherton, where time has no meaning and days have no beginning or end, I felt my stomach start to rumble. I headed back up to my room to see if any of my friends were looking to get dinner.
Luckily, I found two of my good friends, and they suggested that we try something new. I don't eat downtown a lot, but Green Bowl sounded good to me. Right then and there, anything would have sounded good to me. It was about five-thirty when we made our way out the door.
Green Bowl definitely gets a 10/10 from me. For those of you who have never been there, it is an all-you-can-eat make-your-own stir fry. It's awesome, but it takes forever, which can be kind of nice because you get a chance to digest before you go in for your next bowl.
We ended up eating for two hours, and by the time I got back, I was so ready for a shower. When I say so ready, I mean I've been waiting all day to shower and I hate myself for being gross and stinky.
BUT GUESS WHAT
Maintenance was fixing the water in Atherton because we had been taking lukewarm showers for about a week. I was glad they were fixing the water, but COME ON. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAN.
I checked my group chat for some news. My RA said the water was out from 6pm to 8pm. Perfect. I'll be able to shower soon. I decided to do a bit of homework to kill the time.
At 8pm, there were complaints streaming through the group chat that the water was freezing and had no pressure. Ugh, I'm still disgusting. Just a little bit longer. My RA suggested that we just let the water run for a while until it got warm.
Long story short, the water never got warm, and I got so frustrated that I went to bed around 10 pm, still hating my current state of cleanliness. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and gave up. I set my alarm for 8am so that I could finally shower before I went to church.
I spent thirty minutes letting water run in about six different bathrooms on three different floors. THERE WAS NO HOT WATER. I was livid. (I may seem sweet and slow to anger, but I am passionate about my hot water.) I texted the group chat, looking for answers. My RA again suggested letting the water run, but I knew better. I wasn't going to have hot water, and I was pissed.
 |
| Me on the inside when lacking hot water - credit to Contra Curva |
Looking back on the situation, I definitely overreacted. I'm no beauty queen, and I can definitely last a day or two without a shower (no matter how disgusting I feel). The amount of rage and number of complaints from the students in our hallway was not very encouraging for those who were desperately trying to fix our situation. However, none of us realized just how hard they were trying; we were only thinking of ourselves.
A few hours without hot water is a small price to pay when those who maintain our building work day in and day out to make our lives as students cleaner, healthier, and overall better.
As human beings, we tend to be selfish; we think about ourselves and tend to ignore the kind gestures of others. Did you thank the student who held the door open for you? A genuine thank you? Not just a quick "thanks" and scurry away? I, myself, am guilty as charged. I spent Sunday morning raging over the lack of hot water when I could have been taking the day in and enjoying it for what it was. I could have been thankful for the things I did wake up with like heat, electricity, and life.
There are many things we take for granted and many people we take for granted, but today, I want to highlight the help staff in my building. While I complained and fretted over the hot water issue, they work diligently to improve my situation. They don't know anything about me, yet they spend their entire days working to make me happy.
When I really think about it, I'm appalled by my own reaction to a very trivial matter. I knew the hot water would come back eventually, I just had to be patient. I also should have been thankful for those who were working their hardest to help me.
In honor of our renewed hot water, I wanted to dedicate this post to the help staff in Atherton halls. They deserve our encouragement and our abundant thank yous. This week I decided to make a tribute to them: to thank them for everything they do for us.
Although offering snacks to the help staff is only a small gesture, they deserve recognition from the students who live in my hall. They deserve thank yous from each and every one of us.
This post serves as a reminder to appreciate the people around you, whether you know them or not. I encourage you to reflect on your situation and ask yourself, "Am I really treating people the way they deserve to be treated?"
If you treat every stranger like you would treat your boss, the world might just become a better place.
Say thank you. Appreciate others. Spread the kindness.
Wow this really made me think about my own reactions when I'm inconvenienced, like when they decide to clean both bathrooms near my room at the same time forcing me to go to the second floor just to go to the bathroom. It is very important to appreciate the little things that we are blessed to have like heat, electricity, and a help staff that works so hard to make our lives better.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome, Lucy. Green Bowl is really good. It was the first restaurant I went to this year (I haven't been since) but I remember it fondly. I've always had a deep appreciation for the staff because at boarding school, many of the grounds crew workers and cleaners had children who went to the school and helped coach sports teams. One of them was actually helped my friends and I start a hacky sack club. I couldn't stop smiling throughout this whole post.
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