Using hot water in our houses is second nature. It is also a form of double suffering. A while back I was introduced to the ways of double suffering by a Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk with a sense of humor. He referred to moments when we suffer and then beat ourselves up for suffering as "double duka" which is as close to an onomatopoetic form of spirituality as I've ever heard. So you didn't get that job? Duka. You bang your head on the wall in frustration as a result? Double Duka.
For a more formalized take on this, consider the BBC on the topic:
Our use of water (before it's made hot) has an element of anxiety to it. Water is a scarce resource, and we know, even as we watch it shoot down the drain, that lives are being lost and crops are dying for want of the stuff we use to wash grapes. This often sidelined duka is literally doubled when we make efforts to make our water warm. If you are not equipped with an Evolve shower start showerhead (duka for you), then you probably turn the shower on, walk away to get your robe and slippers then return in a heap big hurry, for fear wasted hot water is pouring down the drain. Why do you care so much about THAT water? Because you have spent money and either electricity (see: coal/power plants) or oil (see: war) to heat that water up. Or maybe you just hear my mother's voice in your head squealing: Don't Waste Hot Water. Either way, those moments are the good ones.
The less good moments in our relationship with hot water take place when a task is completely automated and we completely forget hot water is involved. Consider the dishwasher. Consider the washing machine. We flip a switch, we walk away, and we return to find things like bowls and blue jeans miraculously clean. My cheery Buddhist monk would not advocate making purchases in order to reduce your suffering. But frankly, I will. We have enough to worry about without nattering at our children to get out of the shower or wringing our hands over spilled... water. The time is now. Lighten up. Literally, and figuratively. Buy a faucet aerator, buy an adapter to make your favorite showerhead clever and low-flow, and when it's time, upgrade your water guzzling appliances with more energy and water efficient versions. In the meantime, do your wash with cold water. Throw in a little white vinegar to help the cycle along.
And then, breathe easy. No more duka for you.
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