Flush

I was at the library last week and as usual, my little guys just love those tiny potties there so we HAD to visit them. We had completed our business and after the toilet had flushed for the sixth time, due to that little sensor, we moved on to washing our hands. As I moved my hand under the water to turn on the automated faucet that isn't triggered by a two year old's tiny reach, it hit me. When did this become the norm??

When did EVERYTHING have to become automated??

I looked around the room, the foam soap dispenser, put your hand under it and -  boom -  it spits out soap. Put your hand under the paper towel dispenser, again, paper. All these things, that can easily be accomplished by pushing a lever, turning a handle, or lifting a knob have become automated.

Are we that lazy? Are we that dependent on electricity?

Did Franklin, Faraday, and Volta have such high hopes for their discovery? "My good man, this could change history..... this could flush a toilet someday!"

No, I don't think electricity is evil. Yes, I think it is very beneficial. Every time I hit the start button on my dishwasher, I am very thankful for not having to stand over the sink and wash every dish we use. I'm thankful for my washer and dryer and not having to stand over a tub and scrub. At the same time, while my dryer has been broken for the past 3 weeks we have lived. I have a clothes line in my back yard that I use weekly. I use it for cloth diapers and now for other items. My mom has also been kind enough to let me use her dryer as well. When my dryer is fixed I will remember not to take it so for granted (maybe clean out the lint thingy more often.)

Are these things nice to have? Yes, but we could function without them easily and many do. That got me thinking about the bathroom there at the library...............

What if there was a power outage, would the water work? Would the toilet flush? Would we be able to even access paper towels? (Oh disposable towels, grrrr, that's another post! :)) It's when we move from using an item for practical purposes to that item making us dependent on it that troubles arise.

 Where does it end? Will our children even know what to do if trouble arises and there is no power? Would we all be stuck with overflowing toilets and no way to get clean water?

Are we too dependent on electricity? What about your family?