20101210.1805

Thank God for small problems.

I subscribe, at least in part and in my moments of greater lucidity, to the idea that we are presented challenges so as to have some reason to grow greater than we now are. My teaching is predicated upon the idea, in fact, and when I am in better control of myself, I strive to do as I teach others to do.

I was presented with a small problem not long ago this evening. As I was sitting at the dining table--which has not been used for dining in entirely too long (though the tree that occupies it at the moment is quite nice, it must be said)--I heard the sound of glass breaking. And falling.

I thought that one of our two cats had knocked something over, so I got up ready to scold one or both of them. When I did, though, I saw that both were snuggled quite contentedly in my good chair--neither seemed to have moved such that the glass had broken by their actions.

Immediately after, I went to where I had heard the break: the bathroom. There, I saw that the interior, frosted pane on the stationary shower window had popped and pieces of it had fallen all about the bathtub. I was taken aback by the event, actually, and had a bit of a panicked moment as I scrambled for what to do. But I was able, in fairly short order, to get calmed down and to call for a bit of advice on a temporary patch. (I intend to call the landlord, but I know for a fact that the office is closed right now, and that it will not open again for a while--the point is that I'd have had to put in a temporary patch, anyway, so I took care of it first.)

After I slapped an ugly construction of cardboard, plastic, and duct tape in the space between the broken panel (there is still glass wedged into it, and I am not going to mess with pulling the remaining glass out without help) and the bathtub, and even while I was assembling the contraption, I groused about how annoying having to take care of such things is. And it is, admittedly, hardly the most pleasant of experiences to have shit in the house break.

But at least I have a home to fix.

That thought occurred to me about two minutes after I got the patch placed. And I realized that, as a problem, patching a window so that cold air doesn't cascade in is a small, small thing. I could be like one of the all-too-many homeless people in New York City, and instead of patching a window in the warmth be shivering in the cold and hoping to scrabble enough together to get a bite to eat...by whatever means are available.

So I am not displeased at having to patch the window. I learned a little bit more about how to make due, and I was reminded that I have much for which to be grateful. Neither is a bad thing.