Sun Rain - Written by Katey Feit

Our family visited friends living in a small town in the mountains of Guererro, Mexico. It was the middle of the dry season- which lasts 9 months long. The rolling, tumbling land all around us was dusty and brown. We learned to shower standing in big plastic tubs and to turn off the water while soaping up. That water in the big tubs would be used to flush the toilet. Dishes were washed using a small bowl of soapy water and a small bowl of rinse water. If the dishwater was relatively clean after dishes were done it was used to wipe tables, chairs, floors, the porch and even a kid’s face. Under the kitchen sink was a bucket to catch all the drain water. This was used to water the many house plants. The washing machine drain hose was hooked into a barrel. Rinse cycle water was reused on the next soapy cycle. This soapy water was delivered bucket by bucket to the trees lining the dirt road. Their daily lives were shaped by the lack of rain. Now home in Chicago I cringe when I flush my toilet with potable water. My son scolds me when I leave the water run until it is hot. Filling the bathtub seems an appalling indulgence. Watering the lawn is out of the question. I reuse the dish soap water to wash my kitchen floor and rinse water goes to the houseplants. We are working to install rainwater collectors at our down spouts. It seems their lack of rain has affected our daily lives, too.