I think my age is showing, or as I prefer to say, “I’m youthfully challenged.” It all began when I looked in the box we have on our front counter at work to collect donations for Bethel Butikk to help feed the many people in need around our area. After several days, I was surprised to find nothing had been dropped in the box. I made the comment, “I think I need to prime the pump.” The two young ladies at the front desk had puzzled looks on their faces. I could tell they didn’t have a clue what I meant. It was very apparent that we were part of vastly different generations.
I explained that in order to get water from the old, hand water pumps, you first needed to prime the pump by pouring some water in it as you quickly pumped the handle up and down. In other words, it took water to get water. If I wanted people to drop some dollars in the box, I needed to stick some dollar bills in it first. Maybe then, the dollars would start to flow.
Priming the pump applies to a lot of life’s situations, not just getting water from an antique pump. Zig Zigler tells a story about “Priming the Pump.” He said, “You can achieve anything you want in life, if you’re willing to first help enough other people get what they want. He says you need to “Prime the pump for success!”
After being introduced, Zigler would come on stage lugging a large, old-fashioned, chrome-plated water pump. It would catch everyone off guard. He would quickly share the reason for his unique prop. He felt the water pump conveyed the story of life at its simplest. He would then demonstrate that before you can get water, you first have to prime the pump.
He said that if you want to get anything out of life, your marriage, your job, etc., you have to put something in first. Too many people tend to say, “If you give me a raise today, I’ll perform much better starting tomorrow.” Zigler gave the example of someone saying, “Stove, if you give me some heat, I’ll put some wood in you as soon as I get warm.” It’s not going to happen.
Now back to that pump. Once you’ve primed the pump, you have to begin pumping vigorously to get the pressure and suction built up to bring the water all the way up the long pipe. If you happen to get tired and stop pumping, the water falls back down into the cistern, and you have to start all over again.
Zigler points out that you have to persist in whatever you do in life. When you start a new job or take on a new challenge, you have to pump with enthusiasm, even if you don’t see the results you’d like to see in the short run.
I’ve learned over the years that you need to keep trying and not give up in order to accomplish anything. Once the water starts flowing, you need to keep pumping to keep it flowing.
There was a pump on top of our cistern. We attached a long pipe to it that was used to fill the tobacco planter barrel and portable water tanks. We’d keep a jar of water nearby to pour down the pump to prime it. As you quickly pumped the handle there would be no resistance. We kept pouring water in and soon you could feel resistance and knew that water was finally on its way up the pipe. Before you quit pumping it was wise to fill the jar or a pail to use next time you needed water.
There’s a story about a traveler who hiked for many miles across a desolate area. His water supply had run out, and he knew that if he didn’t find water soon, he’d become dehydrated and die before anyone found him. In the distance, he finally noticed an abandoned cabin and hoped to find some water there. Once he made it to the cabin, he discovered an old well. He noticed an old, tin can tied to the pump, with a note inside.
The note said: “Dear stranger: This water pump is in working condition, but the pump needs to be primed in order for the water to come out. Under the white rock next to the pump, I buried a jar of water, out of the sun. There’s enough water in the jar to prime the pump, but not if you drink any first. When you’re finished, please fill the jar and put it back as you found it, for the next stranger in need of water who comes this way.”
One thing I haven’t mentioned is how miserable it was to prime the pump on a cold, winter day. And no, I never stuck my tongue on the pump handle!
That’s a short lesson in how to prime a pump, and what it means. We need to remember that most of today’s younger generation has no idea how an old-fashioned water pump works because they’ve never seen one in action. It’s our job, as the “youthfully challenged” generation, to bridge the gap and let the younger generations know there’s a valuable life lesson to be learned from the simple action of priming a pump.
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