The Kobayashi Maru of plumbing

If you want to sear a point into a person’s brain, connecting emotionally is usually a good way to imprint your point. Emotion creates a tighter connection than just pointing out facts or offering a methodical argument. This is partly why large companies struggle against protesters and other organized opposition – companies tend to focus on data and facts. A well-organized opposition focuses on emotion.

That thought flicked through my mind as I stared at the leaking water pipe beneath my bathroom sink. I had just replaced a shutoff valve and turned the water to the house back on, only to find the new valve leaking. That’s a problem. I had put a bucket there to capture any water, and the bucket was now nearly full.

I had thought long and hard about taking on this erstwhile plumping job in my home. Plumbing jobs, like electrical repairs, are tasks with high potential for negative consequences. But they also offer significant personal challenges. The question is – do you feel lucky? Can you tackle this repair job? Are you up to the task?

If I’m honest, the answer to those questions is usually yes. I’m not a plumber and I’m not an electrician. But I’m generally pretty handy and I prefer to solve problems myself. Each new repair brings with it a new opportunity for personal growth (and the not insignificant risk of failure). I do my research before I start (thanks Youtube!) but in most instances I’m setting off on this adventure without knowing what it is that I don’t know. And so I learn – by doing, by planning, and by thinking through contingencies. I thought about the Wright Brothers and their experience learning to fly. They couldn’t possibly know what they didn’t know, and so they tried based on what they did know. And they learned. And adjusted. And they eventually flew. It’s an entrepreneurial thing. It may also be a guardian angel thing.

So as I stared at the leaking valve beneath my bathroom sink, I was worried about crashing and burning. Emotion was searing this experience into my very core. That voice that often says, “No, you can’t” was speaking loudly.

I understood the problem with the valve – I had reused a compression fitting because there wasn’t enough pipe protruding from the wall for me to cut off the old one and install a new one. The old fitting didn’t seal and now I had no way to stop the flow without cutting off all water in the house until I could fix it. Adrenaline was pumping, self doubt was roiling me, and I thought I was done. I went outside and shut off the water to the house. Then I called a plumber. And got voicemail.

I left a message requesting an immediate visit. Better safe than sorry, I told myself.

I was relieved knowing a plumber would soon be retrieving that voicemail. But what I really needed was one more inch of pipe coming out of the wall. I didn’t have it. But in that adrenaline-filled moment, I was suddenly energized. Pushing aside the doubt, I realized I could go and get that inch I needed. I pulled out my sheetrock saw and carved a square hole around the copper pipe. Once cut, the sheetrock receded an inch, giving me the additional pipe I needed. I was able to cut away the old compression fitting, polish the pipe with emery cloth, and install the new fitting and the valve. I tightened everything up and then sat back and contemplated as the adrenaline left my system. I had done it!

You know what I did then? I tackled the second shutoff valve under the sink. This second valve had enough pipe that I could cut off the old fitting and install the new one straightaway in just a few minutes. That done, I went outside to the main water valve and turned on the flow to the house. I wanted to walk confidently and slowly back into the house, savoring my win, but discretion wouldn’t allow it. I hustled back in, dove beneath the sink, and found – no water leaking. It was all dry. Well, except for the water on the floor from my previous attempt.

In that moment I found myself thinking of James T Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise, and how he out-gamed the Kobayashi Maru test. He changed the rules – changed his perspective on the battle – and won. I kind of felt like that in the moment.

I had gone through an emotional roller coaster doing this repair project – and notched up another powerful learning experience. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. But I trusted my instincts and I learned. I called the plumber back and took a small victory lap in telling them to stand down. I had resolved the problem. The Kobayashi Maru was safe.