Two Are Better Than One

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” Over the weekend, my son-in-law, David, and I experienced the practical value of that biblical adage.

Our new kitchen sink had been draining poorly for several weeks, frequently backing up on both sides. Even a plumber seemed stumped at identifying the dilemma. Finally, David (a whiz at figuring out all things mechanical) and I (people that know me understand “Bob” and “mechanical” don’t belong in the same sentence) decided to take things into our own hands.

The problem, we surmised, was a blocked air vent on the roof. Until recently I didn’t even know a vent was required to expedite water flow – but since it was evident the pipes were not clogged, we decided to explore that possibility.

Because experience has taught me that when the term “do-it-yourselfer” was invented no one had me in mind, I wisely didn’t try climbing onto the roof until David became available.

It turned out to be a fairly simple procedure, much easier than I had anticipated, but without David’s instructions from below, there’s no telling how I might have complicated matters. Details aren’t important, but suffice it to say that if you have a predominantly right-brain thinker (me) to perform a left-brain task, he’s going to need help.

I was the guy on the roof working on the vent (you might say it was my attempt at getting up in the world). But without David’s handy “clog-buster” water hose attachment and his insightful guidance, I might still be up there, scratching my head and trying to figure out what to do.

It’s true that two are better than one. Our kitchen sink is now draining properly – one small step for mankind, one giant step for me.