The Things We Carry

If you don't read a newspaper on a daily basis or make it a point to catch regular TV news casts this may upset and surprise you, but our cost of living is rising rapidly. I'm assuming, of course, that you wouldn't know that from purchasing food, fuel, clothing, shelter or any of the other goods and services that are part and parcel of our lives here in 21st Century America.

I'm being somewhat facetious, but only just, because earlier this week was a news story (actually two news stories, one in each of our daily newspapers) that could have just as easily appeared in your hometown papers on the public utility raising its rates, as of 1 July, and at the turnout, and lack thereof, at a public hearing on the new rates.

English is a funny language-we grab for one word and another ends up in our sentences or in our headlines. Considering the variety and number of sources of information most of us have (at least I do) and the amount of explanation, the utility, in this case Norwich Public Utilities (NPU), has shared on the reasons for the rate increases, I think I've 'got it'. None of us live in a vacuum-all of us realize there's a level and degree of connectivity and inter-connectivity between events and occurrences in one part of the globe that has an impact elsewhere-and none of us wonder why-at least I don't think we do. I cannot claim to welcome a rate increase with a song in my heart (my cardiologist still says it's a murmur), but I understand the market dynamics and its impact on little, old me.

Permit me, as a NFH character (not from here) to note that if everything in and around the City of Norwich worked half as well as the NPU, our children's Connecticut Mastery Test scores would be the highest in the state; we'd have low or no crime of any kind (to include litter and thoughtlessness behind the wheel of a vehicle); we'd enjoy paved roads with adequate and well-lit sidewalks and our municipal government and its employees would have code of ethics (thought I'd throw that one in for you, JM).

As you can probably tell by my exasperation, we've got a bit of performance gap in all the areas I just outlined. But I have all the light, water and heat, whenever I want them at any time, day or night. The City of Norwich owns our utilities company, and ten percent of its gross profits go into the city's coffers as income. I know the fellow who reads my meter and have met the lady who sends me my bill and who has, on more than one occasion, explained it to me. We're all, more or less, on the same team at the same time. When I read a person at the hearing was 'flabbergasted' (used in the story to describe his reaction) at the proposed rate increases I have to wonder how low his threshold of flabbergastedness (or flabbergastosity?) must be set and where he has been for the last few months.

It all seems like something out the Home Star School of Shouting and Pointing with a major in Strongbad. Suddenly, with my apologies to Captain Renault, we're 'outraged (I tell you, outraged!') to learn that there's 'gambling going on in this establishment.' And no matter how thick the fog, or how many other gin joints Ingrid could've walked into, we, in Norwich and elsewhere, will always have Paris (Hilton, in Texas). And when we pretend to NOT understand the inevitable, it is, indeed, the start of a beautiful friendship with our street corner pharmacist.
-bill kenny