Uncle John Rescues Those Two In The Bush!

Step, step, step... Day #24 and I logged over 7,500 step on my Virgin HealthMiles GoZone Monitor today. I have an appreciation and renewed understanding for the psychology behind those winning Biggest Loser Shows! It really works, so MAKE THE TIME to go find some friends, cousins or work colleagues and start your own challenge. Maybe having other people invested in our goals and success longer-term will do the trick.

Now, let's talk about "MAKING TIME" and "BEING BUSY." People hate when I say, "I'm busy," but honestly I've been busy since I was 14 years old! Everybody has commitments. In my case, hiring thousands of employees for Corporate America, celebrating my kids, enjoying time with Harry; commuting 4 hours a day for 24 years, raising money for causes I care about; writing letters to the editor; taking care of people I love; making time for family and friends; having fun; or living through life's real trials, tribulations and challenges - it just gets very, very busy. All these things can keep you from making time to ensure that your health, welfare and safety is in the forefront of all the things that keep you busy.

When Harry and I bought our first home, our Aunt Marie and Uncle Charlie came to visit and we enthusiastically gave them one of the first tours. Aunt Marie made a simple inquiry, "Where's the water heater in this house?" For a moment, Harry & I stared blankly back at each other looking a tad perplexed until we all roared with laughter as Harry blurted out, "We don't know!"

Yes - we were too busy when we bought our house, that we didn't even think to ask where the water heater or furnace was. Who needs follow-up questions when Uncle John had inspected the property and assured us that everything was solid. That was good enough for us while we planned moving men, Mike's Subs deliveries, furniture and beer runs! That was it, but the story of our water heater has followed Harry and I around the family for years...

At about midnight one January evening in 1994, we heard this loud popping sound. When I ran from the bedroom to survey the situation, I noticed that water was gushing from the water heater that was nicely tucked away in the pantry of our kitchen. It was about 10 degrees below zero that night and frozen pipes had been a problem up and down the block. I grabbed every towel and blanket in the house to sop up the water that was now flooding our kitchen, family room and part of our living room. Harry ran outside to the shed to get the tool chest we'd received as a wedding present in 1986, which was still neatly packed in shrink-wrap. Real dangers require real tools, right? While he ran, I called Uncle John and woke him up out of a sound sleep to ask him what we should do. I was kind of in a panic.

Uncle John told me to calm down, then he asked me to listen very carefully. He gave me the following instruction: "Now listen to me! Turn the thermostat to the lowest position possible and then come back to the phone and let me know that you've done that. This is important, so hurry."

I ran as fast as I could down the hall and moved the thermostat to 58 degrees - the lowest it would go and made my way back to the phone as fast as I could.

"I took care of it, Uncle John. I moved the thermostat to 58 degrees! What should I do next? What else can I do to stop this water?!"

"What do you mean you moved it to 58 degrees?? Tish - What thermostat are you talking about?" He yelled back with an alarming edge in his voice that I had never heard before.

"The only thermostat in our house. The one in the hallway next to the bedrooms that controls the heat." I asserted with confidence.

Uncle John yelled back, "Noooo - I'm talking about the one on the water heater!" Everything went silent.

Moments later, I could hear the roar of his voice through the phone, as he yelled to Aunt Nonnie to get out of bed and get dressed quickly! "Oh my Gosh! We have to get to Tish and Harry's house now - The kids are sleeping! I've got the-blind-leading-the-blind over there and I think the kids are in danger!!"

In the end, the problem was solved for the evening... and yes - we had to replace the water heater. Everyone lived. More people laughed.

The moral of this story is that we're all busy, but sometimes you have to stop the world and just get off so you can be UN-BUSY long enough to take time for what is important! Take time to plan. Take time to execute. Take time to educate yourself about things you should be aware of. Take time to enjoy what you've accomplished!

This health and wellness journey takes lots of focus, planning and time. One thing this first month taught me was this: If I was buying my first home now, I'd take time to meet the water heater man @ Home Depot.

Sometimes a change is in order or you risk being the butt of family jokes all the days that you live.


Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 10/51

Quote of the Day: "A bird in the hand is worth absolutely nothing if - you haven't taken the time to find out - you're allergic to feathers!"
- English Proverb destroyed for the purpose of this Blog - Thanks to M. Broyles.