Glass Half Full

Adaptability + humility + a positive attitude are the keys to survival and success. This week, while being snowed in, I have been binge watching “Alone” with my husband. It is fitting to watch homesteaders succeed or fail out in the fierce Canadian wilderness as snow, ice, and a water shortage hit our small city of Richmond, VA.

For the past two days, we have been without potable water in our county. Our neighbors in the city are on day four. Our experience led to innovative ways to provide water to our family- melting snow on the stove and filling the tubs with snow to flush toilets. Thankfully, we are campers, and access to water, or lack thereof, is not something entirely new to us, so experience kicked in when we realized simple things like filling the dog bowls, washing our hands, or taking a shower were not feasible in our current state.

By nature, I am a problem solver.

My profession is quite simply: problem solving. First a teacher, now an academic advisor, I meet with five to ten undergrads a day. They bring me their problems, and I help them strategize solutions. I am sure this skill set is annoying to my own teenage children who know everything (and remind me daily), but I like to think it has helped them, and me, learn to adapt. Just like those homesteaders, we never know what is coming at us, so learning to pivot is truly a life skill that will procure clean water and maybe a squirrel for supper…if you are in the Canadian wilderness not RVA.

Next, watching this show and watching my community this week, reminds me of the value of humility. At the root, we all have the same basic needs. Water, food, shelter. Let’s face it- most Americans do not think twice about flipping on a faucet, taking an hour long shower, or running their sprinkler systems. But this lack of water is a stark reminder of its value when it is not readily available. It also is a reminder of where we land on this survival spectrum. It does not matter your net worth or your title, if you do not have water for your family- who you are or what you do is irrelevant. On “Alone,” those who display humility persevere. They do not take themselves too seriously, and they realize that mother nature is far more powerful than they, and that mindset ultimately brings success.

Finally, looking at the glass half full really resonates this week. If you have ever boiled snow, you realize it is mostly air. A full pot yields very little drinkable water. From this experience, I realized our dogs much preferred snow anyways, so we could skip the boiling for them. They ate slushy snow bowls all week and loved every minute of it- my hardwood floors? Not so much. However, a positive attitude makes or breaks a man/woman/child. Watching these people literally starve in the Canadian wild and then seeing the pure joy when they get to eat a field mouse, is a stark reminder that perspective is everything..

Much like our pups, seeing the glass half full allows us to adapt. Adaptation reminds us that we are but one small piece in this giant game of chess called life. Being positive, pliable, and unassuming will ultimately make any situation manageable and maybe even enjoyable. While our days without water are a disruption, they are pale in comparison to what these homesteaders endure– but in some small ways, the lessons are the same. Smoked salmon or boiled snow, our willingness to change things up, not take ourselves too seriously, and do it all with a positive attitude means we can soak up the best of what life has to offer.