The Economics of Water

The hubby and I were talking the other day, and for a change, he said something interesting. His remark was, "I can measure the changes in our family's economic status as I was growing up by our water."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"When I was very young in the 1950s, we lived in a house where we had to carry water to the house from a spring at the bottom of the hill. Later, we moved into a house that had a well, so we only had to go outside for water."

"Why were springs always at the bottom of the hill?" I asked. Every time someone has told me a story about a spring, water always had to be carried up a hill.

"I don't know, but that's where it was. After that, we were able to get a pump in the house, so we didn't have to tote water. That was much better."

"Were there frogs in the well?"

"Why would there be frogs in the well?"

"Because they used to get in the swimming pool, so I figure they're always looking for a hole of water to jump into. I was just wondering."

"I don't know if there were frogs in there. Do you want to hear this or not?" Jeeze, he can be touchy sometimes.

"Yeah, I do. Tell me about the next step up the economic ladder."

"Then we were able to get running water in the house so you only had to turn on a faucet. Of course, there was only cold water, but it was still better than it had been."

"I should think so."

"So when we moved into the last house and had hot and cold water, for us kids it was a much easier life."

"I imagine it was a better thing for your poor mother, too. I bet she got tired of heating that water all the time. That is interesting, though, that you thought of that. I didn't realize that people had it so tough in the 50s. Of course, I can't remember that as well because you're older than I am."

"Yeah, I forgot that you keep getting younger. It's funny that when we got married, you were only two years younger, and now 40 years later, you're six years younger than I am. Tell me again exactly how that works."

"Wait just a minute, and I'll get a pencil and paper and show you the mathematical formula. It's a scientific fact that women age slower than men at certain points in their lives. That's how you got to be so much older than I am."

"Forget it. I'd hate for you to waste what brain power you have left. I think I'll just watch a little TV. They have a lot of fiction on there, too."

Source:

The hubby