Septic Tank Life

 "The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank" (Erma Bombeck)

Mid 20s me knew nothing about the difference between living on sewer and having a septic tank.

Late 40s me can draw you a diagram of a septic tank, explain your drain lines, find your overflow pipe and teach you the ways of rain and saturated fields.

This last big rain, followed by the white stuff that fell, has my ground fully saturated. I knew we could continue to baby our lines/field/tank or we could just bite the bullet and have it pumped.

If your tank is the right size for your family, if your yard has good drainage, if you follow ALL the septic tank friendly products rules, if you never put grease down your drain and so on - you would never need to pump your tank.

Your septic tank is designed to balance what comes in and what goes out.

We have 4 adults and one kid (plus one dog and one fish) living on a 1,000 gallon tank designed for 2 adults and maybe two not water hogging kids.

We have a back yard that slopes downward to our tank (proof that ALL professions should know a little math). A tank that is not buried. And a back yard that holds water.

When Isaac showed up yesterday and opened our tank, it was overflowing.

Isaac said to me "This should be backed up into your house."

Well Isaac........I knew you were coming today. So I've used more water today than I typically do in a week if the yard is wet. I knew the tank wouldn't hold all the laundry, all the dishes, all the bathing and flushing but I did it anyway. Because I knew you were coming.

We both laughed and he got busy.

I told Isaac that mid 20s me should have chosen a sewer life.

He said he should have too and he's in the business.

The thing is when you live on a septic tank you are responsible for your own crap.

Every single drop of water, sewage, or other that leaves your house is YOUR problem.

I was thinking yesterday as Isaac and I were sharing our hard times standing over my full tank, we are a people living in a septic tank world who think we live on sewer.

We are responsible for what we spew.

We are responsible for the rude interaction with the store cashier. We are responsible for the damage it does to him/her.

We are responsible for making sure our kids walk the natural consequences of life. If we rescue them from that, we are responsible for the humans it makes them.

We are responsible for our inaction when we see wrong. If we know about it, its ours.

Mama Warriors, I desperately want to live a sewer life. I want to wash all I want, flush anything. I'd LOVE a garbage disposal.

That's not the reality.

Life is very much a septic tank experience.

You are responsible for your actions AND your inaction.

Let's be people today who grow the greenest grass because we reap what we sow - good or bad.