River Reflection 2

            When I take time to stop and really think about water, it never fails that I am perplexed by what makes it so attractive.  Maybe it’s the roaring sounds of a waterfall that seem to drown out the rest of the world, or maybe it’s the stillness of a pool in a secluded place.   Something about water is just fascinating to us as human beings.  I love watching small ripples caused by a fish or a duck swimming, and seeing the way even the slightest breeze can completely change the way the water looks.      I love the way light reflects off of water and makes it sparkle.  Most of all, I just love the water itself.

            There is a reason we are inherently attracted to water.  After all, you are composed of mostly water and would not even survive a week without it.  If for some reason humans were naturally repulsed by water, then the human population would cease to exist.  People over the centuries have moved hundreds of miles to be closer to water, have determined their entire lives around the presence of water, and even make their living based on the amount of water available.  Not enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of water would make this world an awfully unpleasant place to live. 

            It completely makes sense evolutionarily that we would grow to love everything about water and want to be as close to it as possible, but few people realize this power that water has in our lives.  People get thirsty and pour a glass of water, or get dirty and take a shower, but rarely does anyone stop and think “Hmm I wonder why this is so refreshing and relaxing.”  Our body knows how much we truly need water; so every one of our senses is designed to love everything about it.   We love the sight moving water, the sound of majestic waterfalls, the smell of the ocean, the cool, crisp touch of water on a hot summer day, and the refreshing taste after a long run.  If all of your senses are telling you something is great, it is impossible to not love being around it.  To put it simply, we innately love water because we cannot survive without it.

            I think it is incredibly interesting to think about these kinds of things, especially as I sit next to the river and wind down for the day.  It’s refreshing, it’s comforting, and it actually gives me a different perspective on what’s going on in my life.  People don’t use this wonderful resource we have often enough.  Everyone is driving by after a long day of work, headed home to sit on the couch and watch TV for a couple hours before they go to bed and call it a day, and yet just stopping by for 20 minutes to go on a walk and let your thoughts wander could change your outlook on the entire week.

A “river reflection” assignment has by far been the best assignment I have had for this semester, because without an assignment such as this there is no way I would venture out and spend time just sitting by a river.  If I’m not being productive and actually accomplishing an assignment of some sort I get stressed and can’t enjoy whatever it is I’m trying do.  This has given me a chance to get out of my little bubble at TCU and spend some time in nature to think about things that are more important than an assignment for class or an exam two weeks from now.  Spending time outside is therapeutic for me, and that is extremely helpful in the midst of a stressful semester.