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INDUSTRY MATTERS
Defending the plumber
“How would you know? You’re just a plumber who plays with
sewerage all day!” said the client, after I offered some input to a
technical problem on site.
By Dean Cane at Modern Plumbing Works
As I sat across from him, and listened intently, my
blood began to boil. and remove waste, resulting in the protection of
countless people from communicable disease.
It has been said that a real warrior is one who can
exercise self-control. It is safe to say that on that day,
I was the greatest warrior the world had ever seen!
Instead of climbing over the table and throttling him,
I exercised extreme self-control and remained firmly
fixed to my chair. There is acknowledgement from many within the public
health community that clean, drinkable water has most
likely protected more lives and extended life expectancy
more than any medical advancement has.
My mind, on the other hand, was working overtime.
Flashes of me taking flight over the table and
wrestling him to the floor ran through my mind frame
by frame as my imagination ran riot. Let’s just say
that in my short daydream, it did not end well for him.
After leaving the presence of the client, who remained
unharmed, it got me thinking: Why would he say
such a thing? Does he really believe a plumber’s
day is spent in the company of raw sewerage? Does
he honestly believe that plumbers are unable to
contribute to society in a meaningful way?
After some pondering, I came to the following
conclusion: In the case of this client and his
‘brilliantly’ thought-out words, there is a clear
difference between his perception of what “just a
plumber” does, and the reality of what a plumber
actually does.
I challenge anyone to live without water and drainage for
24 hours. Turn off the main water supply to your home or
office and you will quickly find out just how important it is
to have water to your taps and toilets.
So next time you turn on your tap and fresh water
magically appears, recognise who was responsible
for delivering that simple convenience to you that is
often taken for granted. When you flush your toilet and
everything vanishes in front of your eyes — a plumber
made it happen. When you are next enjoying that hot
revitalising shower or bath, recognise that it was “just
a plumber” who made that pleasurable experi