It was more than an ordinary drain problem. Certain pipes behind the bathtub had rusted and needed to be changed. That required the plumber to go through what he called the crawl space, an opening about a foot high and two feet wide to be able to enter the basement of the complex where all the pipes could be visible. We’ve had rats there and a neighbor believes it houses at least one cat. It was the kind of job that required two people, so the two young men flipped a coin as to who would go under. No complaints, no hesitation, no ifs or buts. They had to do it and they did it, and a little over an hour later the problem was fixed. Had I been the one to have to go through the crawl space into a dark and dank basement full of unknowns I couldn’t have done it without fears, emotional crutches, without insurance I’d come out, without groans and gripes. I don’t think those I know would feel much differently. In fact most of us complain for far less, for most jobs have their unsavory tasks. Still, when one thinks of all the tasks involved in being a plumber, when one appreciates how grubby, unpleasant and downright nasty they can be, when one values their necessity and how much what a plumber does contributes to our lives, then one has to be humbled.