My kindergartner came home last week with a ton of information about water conservation. Apparently there had been a school assembly or something with folks from the water company. He was so excited to share his new knowledge about how to use less water. Don’t water our lawn every day! We only water 3 times a week. Don’t run the dishwasher until it is full! Go look in the sink to see that we don’t always run the dishwasher even after it is full. Take a 5 minute shower! Cough Cough… a what?
A five-minute shower. Probably sounds pretty easy for a guy. But for a woman, it’s hard. Beyond hard. It’s damn near impossible. And believe me I know. Not only did my son get the talk on reducing our water consumption, he also got a timer to put in the shower that beeps LOUDLY at you when you’ve gone over the 5 minute mark. It’s as if it shouting at you that you are a bad person and destroying the environment with every second you stay in the shower. Or maybe that’s just how I feel about it.
Over this past week, I’ve raced through the shower trying to get in under 5 minutes. I’ve even turned off the water while I’m lathering up shampoo or letting my conditioner sit for minute. You’ve only got 5 minutes of water before your son comes in shouting “IT’S BEEPING, MOM. GET OUT THE SHOWER NOW. YOU’RE WASTING WATER!” You can’t waste those precious minutes.
I’ve never once made it less than 5 minutes. I haven’t shaved in a week – that’s too much water wasted! I gave up on brushing my teeth in the shower – one of my favorite things to do to really feel fresh and clean. Not one second spent enjoying the hot water pounding on my back. A hot shower is no longer relaxing. All I can think how a hot shower is selfish. It’s a hostile action to our environment. It’s downright horrible.
This morning, I turned to my spouse and told him that he wasn’t allowed to shower today. When he asked why, I told him frankly “Because this momma needs 10 minutes and I’m not gonna feel guilty about it.” Somebody has to sacrifice and this time it ain't gonna be me!
Original post for the Silicon Valley Mom's Blog
