It's Not Just Us. Good!
I tried to find the origin of the phrase "Misery loves company," but I'm in too much of a hurry this morning to search any further. What I can tell you is that whoever coined the phrase sure said a mouthful!
Twice in as many days, this has been the theme of the day around our house. This morning's reinforcement pushed me into writing about it, but I'll begin with yesterday just to keep with proper timing.
It's been awfully cold in New England this past week. Yes, it's supposed to be cold in New England in January, but minus eleven degrees three mornings in a row is a bit much. I went to make a third cup of tea around 10:30 in the morning and the water trickled ever-so-slowly out of the faucet. This happened a few days ago as well, but it righted itself inside of a few hours, so it was nothing more than a little bit annoying.
Our water source comes from the Mashantucket Indian Nation who own the property on which the well sits. It's good water, usually. I'm not overly thrilled with the amount of mineral deposit left in the glass or cup, but it hasn't killed me yet so I continue to use the stuff. Yesterday, however, there was almost no pressure. Within an hour, I tried the faucet again. Nothing. Then it chugged, spit and spewed brown crap resembling the color of Jack Daniels. Just ducky, no drinkable water. I wouldn't have minded if I had already taken my shower, but it was my day off and I purposefully rearrange my schedule on such days just so that the routine doesn't resemble a workday.
A call placed to the "Nation" told us that a water main had broken about a mile up the road and they were working on it. Anyone who has ever had trouble with their water company or any public utility knows what that translates to ~ "You'll get it when you get it."
Still, it was a great relief to know that it wasn't just us. The problem did not lie in the house. Phew! Misery loves company.
The water did clear up and come back on, full force, by evening. Luckily I keep plenty of bottled water in the house because otherwise my bladder might have burst while waiting.
This morning, the man of the house braved the frigid air to go out and hunt and gather our newspaper. There was no paper in the box. This annoys us to no end because it's part of the whole morning ritual. It's like "NOOOO... now what am I going to do while sipping my coffee/tea!" You would think someone took away our driver's licenses. I immediately placed a call to the circulation department of our local newspaper. It was music to my ears when the woman told me there was a press problem during the night and the paper deliveries are running about an hour behind schedule. YES! Once again, it wasn't just us. Misery loves company!
Clearly, there's much to be said about not "suffering" alone. As my fiance said "it's okay to get screwed as long as you're not alone." Though this could be taken several ways, I knew just what he meant in this case and couldn't agree more.
Twice in as many days, this has been the theme of the day around our house. This morning's reinforcement pushed me into writing about it, but I'll begin with yesterday just to keep with proper timing.
It's been awfully cold in New England this past week. Yes, it's supposed to be cold in New England in January, but minus eleven degrees three mornings in a row is a bit much. I went to make a third cup of tea around 10:30 in the morning and the water trickled ever-so-slowly out of the faucet. This happened a few days ago as well, but it righted itself inside of a few hours, so it was nothing more than a little bit annoying.
Our water source comes from the Mashantucket Indian Nation who own the property on which the well sits. It's good water, usually. I'm not overly thrilled with the amount of mineral deposit left in the glass or cup, but it hasn't killed me yet so I continue to use the stuff. Yesterday, however, there was almost no pressure. Within an hour, I tried the faucet again. Nothing. Then it chugged, spit and spewed brown crap resembling the color of Jack Daniels. Just ducky, no drinkable water. I wouldn't have minded if I had already taken my shower, but it was my day off and I purposefully rearrange my schedule on such days just so that the routine doesn't resemble a workday.
A call placed to the "Nation" told us that a water main had broken about a mile up the road and they were working on it. Anyone who has ever had trouble with their water company or any public utility knows what that translates to ~ "You'll get it when you get it."
Still, it was a great relief to know that it wasn't just us. The problem did not lie in the house. Phew! Misery loves company.
The water did clear up and come back on, full force, by evening. Luckily I keep plenty of bottled water in the house because otherwise my bladder might have burst while waiting.
This morning, the man of the house braved the frigid air to go out and hunt and gather our newspaper. There was no paper in the box. This annoys us to no end because it's part of the whole morning ritual. It's like "NOOOO... now what am I going to do while sipping my coffee/tea!" You would think someone took away our driver's licenses. I immediately placed a call to the circulation department of our local newspaper. It was music to my ears when the woman told me there was a press problem during the night and the paper deliveries are running about an hour behind schedule. YES! Once again, it wasn't just us. Misery loves company!
Clearly, there's much to be said about not "suffering" alone. As my fiance said "it's okay to get screwed as long as you're not alone." Though this could be taken several ways, I knew just what he meant in this case and couldn't agree more.
posted by Weary Hag at 7:01 AM
3 Comments:
Carol,
Your post reminds me of the time when I (and will never again), lived in a trailer park. Every winter, without fail, the water pipes would freeze up! It didn't matter how much insulation you threw under the crawl-space; if it stayed below zero for a few days, your pipes were gonna freeze, yeah! However, you could bet your last dollar that every neighbor in that trailer park would be calling to ask: "Do you have water? I know I paid my bill! Could it be that the pipes have frozen?"
That's, when my misery would begin to become shared with a lot of company! They all knew that I kept plenty of bottled water, and my supply would soon "miserably" diminish! ;-)
Anyway, I'm not making light of your situation (I'd go crazy without my morning coffee), and I really enjoyed your story's interpretation of: Misery loves company. Have a wonderful day!
Hi Carol,
First of all, I'm sorry for the issues with the water and your paper. That's never fun, but you are right. Knowing that others are having the same issues makes it a little easier to deal with.
It's odd, but showing that others have the same concerns or the same problems is actually a technique we're taught for customer service. It's a form of empathy. To be able to say, "Yes, I understand, it has happened to me as well," tends to make people feel better. It creates an understanding. Misery does love company.
Another excellent post.
Beth
Just so you know when you look at the comments my last one was when you worked as the Lady in Red. And this one is It's not just us. Good. Both are from January/05.
Like you I also find great joy in sharing my misery with others, tee,hee..
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