Sounds of Silence

Replacing the fountain pump was a half-hour job that I procrastinated on for over a year. There was no good reason; I just didn’t get around to it. But last week, a minor miracle on the porch finally brought the water back—and taught me a surprising lesson about peace.

Our fountain pump broke over a year ago, leaving the basin dry all last summer. I had bought a replacement, but it sat in the garage, uninstalled, as I could not get my act together.

 Last week, I was hunting for something in the garage and came across the box with the pump. I thought to myself, “Ah, I need to add this to the to-do list.” And then a second thought hit me: “If I don’t do this right now, it’s not happening and we are going to have a second summer with no fountain.”

I dropped whatever I was working on, grabbed the pump and two screwdrivers, and headed to the porch.

It took a bit of muscle to lift the heavy stone base and pull the electric line of the old pump out, but after a couple of grunts, it was done. I then worked in reverse, threading the new power cord up the base. Easy peasy.

 The last step was connecting the pump to the fountain internal water line. I twisted it on, heard a snap, and watched the new plastic connector crack. D@mn, Did I just do that?!

 Useless.

 After a bit of cursing, a minor miracle occurred. I salvaged two small connectors from the old pump and used them on the new one replacing the broken part. These kinds of jerry-rigged fixes never work for me, but amazingly, this time it did.

 I put the fountain back together, flipped the breaker, and started filling the basin. Modern pumps have an automatic cutoff switch, so they won’t run without water present. I had the basin about a third full when, suddenly, the motor whirred to life and water came pouring through the spouts.

 I had an immediate visceral reaction. It was not the sight of the water that drew me in; it was the sound. I closed my eyes and listened. It was calm,  relaxing and tranquil.  The peaceful quiet sound of running water.

 It made me realize how much I missed the fountain this past year. I just hadn’t noticed the void until it was filled.

 Living in the country, it is usually quiet at the farm – unless a neighbor happens to be bushhogging. I never really considered the fact that you can increase your peace by adding the right kind of noise. It was a minor but meaningful discovery, and one I will not forget.

 Sometimes, it’s the little things.