Faucet Water

I drank water from the kitchen faucet, often, when I was a kid. My grandmother didn’t seem to care. My mother was adamant about not doing it but correction never went further than calling out, “Get a glass” and the occasional lecture about rust in the water. Getting a glass was way too much work. Every time you drank out of a glass you had to wash it, put it back in the dishrack and risk breaking it. Flintstone jelly glasses were way cool to break.

I played in the street, in front of my house, all day, every day. Whenever I was thirsty, I ran home and drank from the faucet. (I also drank from open hydrants – don’t tell my mom!) If I had money for a soda, I was very lucky and I saved it for the end day when I finished playing. I’d share it with my best friend, wiping the top with my sleeve, more often a dirty hand, after each swig. Sometimes someone called, “SIPS” and I was obligated to give him some. I’d hand it over and watch carefully as they drank my pineapple soda, hoping to get it back before they took more than a fair share.

I don’t drink soda anymore and I find It painful to watch someone fill up a cart with bottled water especially with budget brands filled with local water from a spigot in the basement of an old Brooklyn factory. That’s shameful and the plastic use is sinful. I never buy bottled water. Some people think we can be better by using aluminum bottles. Inexpensive ones aren’t worth the resources and the “good” ones are expensive, $25-45, and HEAVY. We’ve come a long way in water marketing from Perrier sponsoring the NYC Marathon.

I try I to drink a gallon of water everyday. I have mixed feelings about using Brita pitchers. Why should I filter water that is already “clean”. I’m do not like carrying a water bottle especially when it’s empty. I’m not fond of ice cold water probably because I grew up drinking “faucet water”. I drink my share of bottled water, if it’s free and available. I guess I’m part of the problem. I’m not advocating drinking out of faucets but plastic bottles certainly aren’t better. Drinking from the kitchen faucet, with water running down your chin and wiping it off with a shirt sleeve or the back of your hand seems like an art that shouldn’t have been lost.

Filed under: Community Green, Morrisania, Community, Culture, environment