In the late thirties, early forties, there was a war going on and everything was rationed.  I went in and drew myself a bath yesterday.  Hot, hot water, and remembered.

No one left a faucet on.  You kept a pan of water by the sink for rinsing hands.  Hot water was a luxury.  The water and electric bills were highly controlled--you couldn’t afford either.

And as I was sitting soaking in the tub, I remembered when one tub of water served everyone.  You couldn’t afford to fill it up twice.  Mama got the first bath, the girls the second and the guys got the dirty water.

It didn’t seem strange at the time.  Now it sounds gross.  At my grandmothers house, there was a great big horse watering trough or the stream out back of the barn.  And a bar of lye soap.

Today, everyone takes a shower and lets the water run.  That is such a luxury.  People in other countries don’t have those simple privileges.  The war torn countries of the world are desperate for clean water to drink.

Americans are so spoiled.  If we ever had another war, I don’t know how Americans would give up their daily showers.  We let a computer virus shut down gasoline on the east coast.  We have forgotten how to do without.  People have no idea how to manage on nothing.