The water in us

Here comes summer time in the South again and it's heating up in more ways than one. If you are lucky, your summer comes with a cool down at a beach, a lake, a river or a pool of water but you do need to live in the right spot to enjoy such luxuries. I'd say more than ever. In the last year, Cape Town has experienced its worse water crisis in history - Australia too and I dare say many other parts of the world. And even though we are surrounded by oceans and mountain water, this drought left residents scrambling for trickles and buying bulk supplies of bottled water to make it through last summer. Thankfully, this summer we have some relief. But our not so recovered gardens, dried up water reserves, ongoing water restrictions and new water saving habits are a constant reminder of our ongoing shortage. These small life lessons have taught most of us here a healthy dose of respect, super fast! Use less water. Reuse water. Collect rain water. Rethink the plants and water systems. Be water wise every day. Wash up in a bowl, Use recycled water to wash your car and have a shower in less than 3 mins. It's crazy how quick you can start applying new ways of living when you simply don't have a choice. Sadly, we are mostly all too spoiled with the luxuries of living and burdens of time to do this voluntarily, but we should really stop and think more. It's funny how something like this can really make you reassess yourself as a person too, not just your life choices. Circumstance change, personal change. I guess it's not that hard to fathom right. When you think of global warming and the effects on water and now how you use it at home, then I guess you jump to how it affects everything around you and perhaps in you as well strangely? The obvious irony here is that we are all made up of more water that anything else. Something like 65% of our bodies are made us solely of water. This got me thinking about the science of us, our bodies and how we are connected to water and nature specifically. Unless you have studied the human body and mind, chances are, you know very little about your physical self. Unless you have studied psychology, you would know little about human emotions and mental health but even so, how much of these studies reflects something nature has taught us? Is there not more to learn from Mother Earth herself? Sure, there's lots of teachings, lots of research, inspiration and philosophical leanings but aren't you just a little bit curious about how our own little ecosystem, our micro-verse and the science of us are connected to it all? I read an interesting article recently titled 'Everything human is natural'. Alan Watts, the writer suggests here that civilisation may pretend to be separate, but nature will always reassert itself. It's an interesting consideration and one I have perhaps considered a little longer than a drought but the catalyst for change, ironically is nature herself in this instance. Nature has so much to teach us; so much to share. There were days last summer when I ran out of water at home. I mean seriously. No running tap, bottled water reserves depleted and I was thirsty. Very very thirsty! Besides a healthy appreciation for those without, I was taken by the thirsty world outside my very window. The truth is some plants survive for long periods of time without water. And sure, nature intended this for some, but we have so much to learn. Sometimes I think we are far behind as a western community. Some ancient ancestral groups have been connecting with water and plants and nature for years. I simply can't wait for the day when we get this right as a race. After all, we are one. It's said “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” Loren Eiseley. May we all find it fast! Here's a healthy, fluid and thought-provoking 2019! It's a great year to experience the magic of water in you and all around you. ;)