For many years I’ve used clotheslines to successfully start conversations about energy with people who didn’t care about energy, or so they thought. Clotheslines have graced my yard for decades as you can see in the photo.

 

When the trees blocking solar exposure of my roof for solar panels were removed, I remonstrated the erstwhile wonderful tree guy for his failure to include the cost of the memorial service for those trees in his job estimate. Electricity was ready to flow, but first, there was the blessing (“witness”) ceremony by the electrical company inspectors of the install, which reminded me in every way of the ceremony I witnessed in 1992 of priests blessing the cars of the locals at the rural Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland. My solar panels were finally turned on at the end of February. I was overjoyed to see the monthly charge for electricity drop to zero.

 

But soon after my beloved clotheslines out back summoned me and explained that they were VERY upset about the competition they now faced.

 

Then a few weeks later they called me over again and said they had become so upset they just might hang themselves.

 

But in May good news returned. The clotheslines reported they are happy again. They tell me they have found a new mission--catching tree branches blown down by the May tornado. And they remind me that the flat solar panels cannot do that. So their identity and self-respect are once again intact, and happiness reigns over all.

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Marty Mador is Political and Legislative Vice-Chair, CT Chapter Sierra Club.