Building Character



I live in a house built over 100 years ago.  The house has charm and 100 plus year old cast iron drain pipes.  Although previous occupants improved and changed and modernized, projects cannot be evaded.  And some projects that you thought were finished need to be revamped.

Case in point, the powder room under the staircase.  New floor, paint, sink, vanity, medicine cabinet, faucet, hardware, and toilet installed years ago.  However, the toilet leaked into the basement.  We concluded that the wax seal failed.  So, after gathering all the necessary tools and parts, we removed the toilet only to find that the wax seal wasn’t the problem.

The original to the house cast iron closet flange had partially disengaged, unsecuring the toilet to the floor and drain pipe.  A new flange was not something we prepared to replace.  For days, the toilet loitered in the hall, the bathroom door was kept closed, while we scoured the internet for ideas about how to fix it.  Finally, we found the information that would hopefully save us from sawing through a four inch cast iron pipe.

The old house did not make it easy to remedy.  Too much of the flange broke off to fit it with a new collar.  The old flange did not want to release from the pipe.  However, we found a part made to replace in such situations.  Just not in a local hardware store.  We had to order it and wait.

The new flange arrived in the mail in the morning and by the afternoon, the toilet was reinstalled.  No more leaks.  What a great feeling of accomplishment.  It propelled us to replace an old toilet in an upstairs bathroom the following weekend.

This toilet was probably installed sometime in the ‘50s or ‘60s.  We, again, felt prepared to tackle whatever the house threw at us.  That bathroom holds the other original to the house bathroom plumbing.  We turn off the water and begin to unscrew.  Then, one nut on the floor bolt decides it doesn’t want to budge.

An hour or so project becomes a weekend long project.  The corroded metal was also stripped.  The wrench had nothing to grip.  Spray some loosener on it and wait, again.  The next day, it still doesn’t turn.  We break out the hacksaw.

After sawing through the bolt, the replacement went smoothly.  This cast iron flange stayed intact.  More feeling of accomplishment.  I am primed to tackle the next project, which has more plumbing involved.

My plumbing adventure of the past couple of weeks is a real life example of how to build a character.  The situation a character faces may be similar, but the problem is different, and therefore the solution is different.  The character grows, ready to tackle the next task.

Small trials, achievements and failures, can be as significant as life altering events to tweak character.  One little thing develops the momentum to get to the next little point, which, in turn, get to the big points.  Before you realize it, a character has surmounted a lot.  It’s like that proverb that talks about climbing a mountain one step at a time.  A character builds one task at a time.

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