Postcards from the Edge Episode XI Part IV

I know it's been a while since I've written, but mainly, I've been working. And working, for the most part, isn't funny enough to write about. For those of you new to this series, welcome! This is Julia's little series of sometimes humourous, often brilliant (har har) observations of the world at large.
So, I am currently working in a little town called Chesley. Very small. And, for those of you wondering why I hadn't written more about Wiarton Willie while I was there, well, there wasn't that much to say, apart from the work. Work is just work, although, admittedly, I haven't come across any "eyebrow plucking" stories yet up here in Chesley.... Actually, today's postcard is less funny, but more introspective, so please just put up with me for now...
Most of you (myself included) have NO IDEA where Chesley is located, except for one thing: It's nearest bigger town is Walkerton, which is where I am living during this locum. (Not only am I covering a practice for a doc, but I'm also housesitting for them simultaneously) Now, everyone knows, vaguely, where Walkerton is. I don't know how many comments about the water I got before I left to come here. The reason I mention this today is because the medical community here invited me to have dinner tonight. It was interesting to hear their stories of what happened five years ago. How every single person in town was NOT left unaffected by what happened. How many of the people around the table had children and grandchildren evacuated to Owen Sound, London, Toronto to help save their lives. How there are still kids today in Walkerton that are still affected, not just emotionally, but also physically by what the infections left their bodies with. How amazing the Walkerton folk were at pulling together and dealing with Fox News helicopters buzzing around,and all the families that were mourning, etc etc that whole summer.
Which made me think a bit harder about the jokes about the Walkerton water that I heard before I left for here. I was thinking about what a miracle is the fact that we can drink our tap water directly, despite our obsessive attempts to Brita-ize and reverse osmosis our tap water. About what a huge tragedy that it is that we can't drink the water from (Southern) Ontario's streams and lakes (cause you can in some parts of Northern Ontario, that's for sure). About what an even bigger tragedy that the majority of people on the planet don't have any water at all.
I know I'm getting a bit into my preachy and my non-amusing mode, but it really did strike me at how something as essential and good as water can still be utterly screwed up and messed up by humans. I am sure that there are theological implications for that, but I will spare those who don't believe in the same stuff as I do. Off my soapbox....
At any rate, I'd be glad to hear from all of you! I PROMISE to be funny next time. If you'd please like to drop me a note, just to let me know that a) you're alive or b) that your email is still working/still accepting email from me or c) just to let me know what you're up to, I'd be glad to hear! Promise that I WILL be funny next time, but all my thinking about water was just particularly striking to me today.
Love you all.
julia