“Serving overseas as a small-town boy in America has been intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!”
—Matt
Y2K & Bath tubs
Do you remember where you were at for Y2K? Remember? It was that great concern (that turned out to be nothing) for a cataclysmic shutdown of everything upon arriving at midnight on January 1, 2000 with computer operating systems all going haywire.
We had moved overseas in 1999 and were living in a place where computers had largely not been integrated into many areas of life. These foreigners had no idea what the American Y2K fear was all about and they had little interest in the subject. Some in America were quite concerned and others just took advantage of it. I knew men who had been eyeing a new generator and all sorts of goodies at the hardware store. Y2K was the perfect excuse to buy all sorts of things their wives would never have allowed otherwise, “Honey, I’m doing it to keep us safe.” Yeah right!
When you live overseas, you often are with other Americans to celebrate holidays. We went to visit a couple for the New Year’s celebration who lived a few hours from us. After the road trip to their apartment, I asked to use the bathroom. I found it a bit odd to see that their bath tub was completely full of water. As we walked around their place, we noticed lots of containers, pots, and a laundry hamper filled with water to – reserve drinking water. They also had an overstocked pantry. Yes, they were preparing for Y2K. Needless to say, I didn’t ask to take a bath.
As the fireworks for the New Year went off, my wife and I were enjoying the excitement of doing the holiday in another country. However, the other couple seemed a bit apprehensive during the fireworks. Their faces said, “When is it all going to shut down?” and they looked a bit disappointed when all the utilities kept working just fine. The tub was drained later the next day when they determined all was clear. It was not a subject that we brought up with them and the new year marched forward.
Every time I see a full bath tub of water now, my first thought is, “Don’t get a bath in it! It might be our drinking water for a few days.”
Something similar ever happen to you? Contact me and let me hear your story!
mattsmishaps@gmail.com Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN 46741
