Don’t let the title fool you. This is not a largley philosophical article. It is very simply about water, but add a little bit of spice to it. Water is all around us in this world. The food we eat and grow is made of it and depends on it. All life, including ourselves depends on it, yet it is one of the most scarce resources on the planet and cannot be recreated or refurbished once it’s drained. The water we drink comes from the ground, glaciers, even from the air. The technology surrounding water is huge. Hydroelectric power is not widely used but it is extremely powerful. A common theme here is that water is powerful. The power of water goes beyond science and technology. It makes your bodies feel good. It makes my mind feel good. When my therapist asked me where I go when I need to relax, my instintual response was “water.” She asked me if my astrolical sign was a water sign, to which I responded that it was not and that I am an earth sign. So she proceeded to ask me why water relaxes me so much. Let me tell you why.
Growing up, I loved to take baths. I would play with my dolls and toys in the bath for hours well beyond after I was pruning. I did not want to ever get out of the bath. While I no longer take many baths, a shower is a go to for me to quickly relax even if I am already clean. I like to sit down and feel the stream of water hit my body and cascade over the curves of my body. It follows me and my movements while taking on its own hardness. This is a key reason I love water so much. There is a line from the movie Cars about the road and “it did not cut through the land, it moved with it.” While that is about an interestate, I think about that in terms of water. How often do you see a straight river, creek or lake? Never and that is because water not only moves with the land, it changes the land. It has the power to change land forms. Water is soft with a hard strength.
I recently was out by the Susquehanna River and I told someone “the water looks calm on the top, but it is fast underneath.” This was a lesson that my dad taught me. He taught me how to recognize fast moving water as well as how to keep myself safe in it if I ever fell out of a boat or kayak into fast water. It is a skill I use every time I go out to kayak. It’s also a skill I’ve used while fishing to find the best places to cast. The first time I submerged myself in water while fishing, I was with my dad. I was very scared to stand ribs-deep in water on some slippy rocks. Unknowingly, that same day I caught the biggest fish of my life. Fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding and all types of other water activities are my favorite parts of summer. When it is too hot, I love to go somewhere with water and bask in the breeze. My family friends own a condo at the end of the Suquehanna into the start of the Chesapeake. I spent several dys each summer going down to Maryland for a day on the boat and to play on the sand of the small islands. Even today I find myself driving the 45 minutes just to sit by the docks and relax and breathe in that fishy air. The sign of the herons flying by with a fish in its mouth makes me happy. A fish jumping out of the water excites me and draws my attention close. There is so much life and variety underneath that water, but we can only see the top. Although many people have fears of open waters, I go into it without any fear. Yes there are lots of things to be afraid of, but if you trust yourself and know how to keep yourself safe, there is nothing to fear.
However, take a minute to consider the power that water holds. Think of the destruction that happens after hurricanes, monsoons, tropical storms, tsunamis, and floods. While water can be beautiful and tranquil, it is destructive and harmful. Power can be either good and bad. Water can be either good or bad. Life can be either good or bad. Again, water can be calm on top and fast underneath. This statement not only was about my safety. It was also about life. Water is life and provides life but it can also take it. I watched The Impossible recently which is based off of the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The scenes of the mother and son swimming through the water scared me. In an instant, their life was changed by water. That is something that will always stick with them. Yet it is important to remember that even though water is destructive, it brings life. The water cycle is also part of the life cycle. There is life created by water that is still mysterious and unknown.
There are discoveries in our oceans every single year. People advocate for the preservation of our seas and watersheds. Water is not an insignificant thing that can be iced or boiled. All life depends on it. Water holds power that no man can have yet every man desires it. The United States is in fact running out of this beautiful resource like many other countries as well. According to the US EPA, within a matter of 4 years, about 40 states in America will have water shortages. Once it is gone, it cannot come back. It is predicted that wars in the future will be over water resources. There are millions of organizations and agencies around the world that are al fighting for the cause against water shortages and promoting water conservation. Clean water is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, if there is no water, there will be no water to clean or use to sanitize. Tackling the water shortage and promoting conservation is more important to ensure we can provide clean water and santiation. The element that is so powerful is growing weak by the overuse of the world. Billions of people, animals and plants rely on water, but it’s polluted. Microplastics, acid rain and salinifcation harm our waterways and drinking water. It is very very important to educate yourself on conservation of water. This is one type of problem that will absolutely affect you.
All in all, there are a lot of thoughts to be said about water. It is destructive, brings life, filled with discoveries and can be used for our enjoyment. But the most important thought to be taken away from this article is that it needs help. For more information about water conservation/preservation, visit this wesbite to find more resources or quite literally google it for thousands more.
HCXO, Cecilia
