In retrospect, the heating system splitting down on me was the best thing that could have happened.
It was what they call a “moment of clarity” or “a come-to-Jesus moment” depending on your religious beliefs.
I was snowbound in a remote beach house in the foothills, with no electricity or cell service. It would take afternoons at least before I could get out or anyone else could get in. The ancient beach house was sturdy, however drafty, plus I needed some heat. The locale came equipped with an ancient natural gas heating system that required no electricity… Alas, the heating system was broken, so I had no means of keeping myself warm. There was a fireplace, plus I found an ax, so I had to brave the freezing plus trudge through the snow to break firewood. As I froze our nips off in the snow, chopping wood, I thought back to how I had always taken heating for granted; Every new home I had ever lived in, or even visited, had central heating. I had always assumed that any time I needed warmth I could just twist the knob on the temperature control to get more comfortable. Those few afternoons in the cabin, constantly feeding the fireplace for some semblance of heat, genuinely changed our perspective. What else besides heating was I taking for granted? Clean water, fresh air, the availability of food? Unlike a oil furnace, I couldn’t just turn on the fireplace plus walk away, I had to sit beside it plus tend the fire constantly… By the time it was over I had lost a few pounds, plus gotten a new perspective on life.