One morning not too long ago, I was going about my business, washing my face.  I had the spigot on, water running as usual when all of a sudden, I was struck by the thought of how much water was just being wasted, going down the drain.  

Running water, I thought.

I had thought about it before, of course.  But only in terms of leaky faucets and low-flow shower heads, never in a conceptual way.

Then I thought, if I were living in the Civil War era, I’d be pouring water from a beautiful rose-patterned china pitcher into a matching basin (If I were rich. I’m not sure what that pitcher would be made of if I were poor.)   And I’d probably be washing my whole body with that one pitcherful of water.

How hubristic running water is.  It’s as if we have built our plumbing infrastructure on the notion that there is an unending stream of water that will flow on and on forever.   But that’s not so.

They say the great wars of the 21st century will be fought over water.

Here in California we have a water crisis pending, we all know.  Just like we know the big one is coming.

Billy says, You and me, we’ll never feel water scarcity in our lifetime.  That’ll be for the next generation.  Then he says, And you know the rich people will always have water.

He’s right, of course.

Later he tells me, Just know you have a right to live your life and be happy.