Buddha and a Broken Bathroom

I’ve mentioned before that I do a lot of meditation. I recently picked up a couple of books on mindfulness and the act of just being in the present moment. Doing what you are doing without thinking about all the other things that need to be done (yes, it’s easier said than done). And not worrying about the things you can’t control. I’ve semi-adopted the “what will be, will be” attitude. I’ve had it for a long time. My motto is “stress doesn’t solve your problems.” I’ve lived like that for many years. It was a tough lesson to learn and I learned it young. When I couldn’t afford to pay all my bills I would get stressed, which in turn led to me being irritable and short-tempered to my kids and those around me. It took me a while, but I eventually learned that it doesn’t matter how stressed I get, it rarely if ever solves my problems. So I’ve tried not to let things get to me.

I’ve had a Murphy’s law kind of month. April has been eventful, to say the least. First I had to get my struts on my car fixed, then I had to wait to get it aligned after getting it fixed because the control arm was bent. I finally got the control arm fixed and got the alignment and two new tires only to have my ball joint and axle break as I was going around a curve. After that got fixed I thought I was home free. Everything was moving right along. Until the faucets in my shower started pulling into the wall as if possessed by some sort of monster.

Turns out, the monster was a leak. The faucets pulling through the wall were because the floor was literally crashing under the weight of the tub.

Can you say stress?

It was an understatement…at first.

But I was reading a Buddhist book about inner peace. And although I wanted to cry because that’s what makes you feel better in stressful situations momentarily, the words of the book rang in my ear. Instead of worrying about the $1300 I collectively owed people who helped me fix my car or worrying about the $1300 I assumed it was going to take to fix the hole in my wall and the leak in the bathroom and under the house and the floor joist, I just took a breath and asked myself, what can I do today?

So I opened up my phone and looked for any plumbers whose numbers I had saved. I found Chuck the Plumber on my phone. I had met him over a year ago at Kroger and I got his number just in case. So I called him and asked how much he would charge me to just come look at it. He got my address and was at my house in an hour. He fixed the leak in the shower, we went under the house and he told me what all would need to be done and then he left. Without charging me a dime for an hour of his time and expertise.

Then I called Mister of two years past. We’ve remained friends since the first blog he appeared in. I’m pretty sure he was in others but I’m not going to search for them because then I’d be forced to read them and I don’t like doing that. But I will say, he’s not married anymore. He’s separated and living alone.

Anyway, I called Mister and he said he’d come by and take a look at the basement. So Friday he came by after work. We made plans for him to come by Saturday, which he did. And that led to more work on Sunday. He was basically at my house all weekend fixing my basement and the rest of my plumbing. I spent about $150 total for supplies over the weekend from buying a jack to some wood to some gaskets. And he didn’t charge me a penny for his time and expertise either.

I still have one more hole to fix in the wall and I’m not sure when or how it will get done since I don’t do tile, but I’ve asked a couple people to come help me. Maybe it will work out too. But I do know that I’m not going to dwell on it today because it’s pointless.

And if the Buddha book has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that you really can’t worry about anything besides this moment and if you do, it still doesn’t change the outcome of what you are worried about.

I am of the mindset that things usually work out for the best or at least the way they are supposed to so I won’t worry about the tile either. I will just worry about today, this hour, this minute, this moment.