Drinking from the dipper
By Barb42
@Barb42 (4214)
United States
February 5, 2009 9:14am CST
Watching an old Little House on the Prairie program got me to thinking. The doctor gave a patient some medicine and then handed him a dipper of water he had taken from the water bucket.
Back when we all had well water, there would be a bucket of water sitting around with a dipper inside. When you wanted a drink of water, you just picked up the dipper and took a drink of water. We never thought about getting a disease from the widely-used dipper that probably saw the lips of many a sick person. Makes me wonder how many sicknesses were passed around by use of that dipper. I never know of anybody ever washing the dipper, at least not between sips. Most people would never drink from the same glass; yet we drank from the same dipper. Have you ever drank from a dipper where others had put their lips?
3 people like this
4 responses
@jands1 (835)
• United States
6 Feb 09
I have not drank well water from a dipper since I was a very little girl. And I did get very sick from it. Well water on the family homestead in S. California. Luckily a massive round of antibiotics cured it. Can not remember exactly what disease was.
I do not share my glass except with my brother. But I do that more to show him he is still human despite being HIV positive.
There is something much more primal about sharing a dipper than a cup I think. And, it seems more ceremonial to me.
Regardless, sharing any drink from the same container shows great trust and fellowship.
@honeydew82174 (1720)
• United States
8 Feb 09
Drinking from the dipper was before my time. My daughter drinks every thing I drink. I am waiting for the day I get a whole soda to myself! LOL God knows where her lips have been and on what toys! LOL@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
8 Feb 09
Honeydew, you make me feel old. 
And I don't feel all that old, but really do remember the dipper. We got city water when I was pretty young, but everybody I knew did not. Some used their wells for years before city water. One such case was a friend of mine whose family lived off the regular line and they could not afford to pay for the pipe to run down the length of the road to their home. So their home was very late getting water.
And I don't feel all that old, but really do remember the dipper. We got city water when I was pretty young, but everybody I knew did not. Some used their wells for years before city water. One such case was a friend of mine whose family lived off the regular line and they could not afford to pay for the pipe to run down the length of the road to their home. So their home was very late getting water.