On Easter Sunday, my roommates and I had our friends over to play board games, cards, and to just hang out. We had a lot of fun, and our friends left around 12:30 AM, Easter Monday. Not long after they had gone, my roommates and I discovered that we barely had any access to water! The showers didn’t work, bathroom sinks were dry, and toilets wouldn’t flush (gross, I know). We all had to brush our teeth, wash our faces/shower, and well, you know. What were we going to do? The only water we could access was from the cold tap of our kitchen sink–so we all used the sink to wash our faces and brush our teeth.
We had no idea what was going on! The next morning, there was still no water besides the cold kitchen sink tap. We gave our RA a call to see what the story was, and we were starting to get antsy because the showers still weren’t working. Our RA told us that there was a citywide water restriction due to water shortages in Dublin between the hours of 7 PM the night before and 7 AM this morning; it would also happen for one more night. However, we had no idea that any of this was taking place! We used up our water ration for the night, and that’s why our plumbing stopped working–it had been air locked. Some of my roommates went to shower at a friends house, and we had a plumber come over to help us get water before 7 PM hit that night and water would be restricted again. It was one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever had.
Most people don’t think about resources that are so readily available to them, like water. We just turn a tap on, and out it comes. When necessities are taken away, we truly realize how much and how often we use them! Then I started to think about all the people in the world who don’t have access to clean water. I felt incredibly selfish because I’m so used to having water when I need it, and I could walk down the street to a friend’s house to take a shower if I needed to that day. It really wasn’t that bad, going 12 hours without water, but it gave me a new perspective on life and reality. Not everyone lives that same life that I live, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to learn what it is like to live with restricted access to a vital natural resource. I am making a conscious effort to conserve as much water as I can when I brush my teeth, take a shower, or wash dishes. You should too!
Seriously, don’t waste it, there’s only so much clean water left in the world.
Emily Bailey
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Emily and I am currently a junior at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL, and I am studying psychology. I hope to attend law school someday and work with children and families. In my spare time, I enjoy playing guitar, watching reruns of “Friends,” and spending time with my friends and family. I have a passion for travel and good food, so this experience in Dublin is absolutely incredible! Check out my blog and feel free to leave comments or message me!</span></p>
