Page 13 - December 2019

help, my pre-teen younger brother decided to pipes were torn out of the wall. The pipes were
move one of them. Keep in mind that these broken and spewing water all over the basement.
things probably weigh 200-300 pounds. We still laugh about his understatement and how

Our basement stairs had a few steps down to he immediately assigned the problem to our
a landing, then a right turn and a very long and father. Fortunately, my brother wasn’t injured
steep set of stairs the rest of the way down. He and our father was fairly handy with plumbing
managed to get the block down to the landing and other household repairs.

without incident. We become aware of his For the most part, I have fond memories of
ill-conceived plan when we heard the incredible childhood holidays, and learned a lot about life
crash, and he came running up the stairs along the way. I often wonder how we, and my
shouting, “Daddy, you’ve got a leaky water pipe parents, survived some of the crazy things we

in the basement.” Prior to this moment in time, did. In closing, I wish all of you the very best for
we had an old-fashioned, double-wide concrete whatever holiday traditions you observe, and
laundry sink mounted on the wall at the bottom look forward to seeing you next year.
of the stairs. It was smashed to bits, and all of the

VOICES! | DECEMBER 2019 13