on the nature of water

I could do with fewer screens in my life

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perhaps love is like water, able to support the entire weight and worth of a person if there is enough of it, or sweeping them along unwittingly in its violent current, being tossed about helplessly like a paper doll in the breeze. it can be destructive if its flow is impeded or obstructed and then released suddenly. capable of generating tremendous pressure, of launching plastic rockets into the sky and shooting sparkling jets of quenching beams on an arid summer's day.

at one moment, refreshing and thirst-curing, suffocating and oppressive the next. it expresses itself in strange ways; stern and firm, cold and harsh, strong and confident, creating cracks in the most steadfast of faces; light and airy, a shimmering vapour, bashful and blushing yet brimming with energy. we occasionally immerse ourselves in it and allow ourselves to float in its embrace, forgetting worries and troubles as they submit to the seductive swaying of the tide, gently coerced by its ebb and flow, the playful waves dragging them further and further away to rejoin the dense, seething ocean of unformed thoughts and emotion.

it may fall from the sky unsolicited and without warning, tiny hammers tapping lightly on windows and sidewalks like a mild-mannered visitor, or it can come crashing upon our heads suddenly like a volley of projectiles discharged from the heavens, often at times when it is least convenient.

in barrages of calculated droplets, we use it to cleanse ourselves of any dirt or dust we may have picked up during the day. because it is so clear, it can sometimes be hard to tell if it's even there but is quickly noticed upon contact, even in tiny amounts. it can bend light and distort the way things appear. some people feel naturally at ease around it while others absolutely fear anything to do with it.

it is an essential element of survival; we take it in and break it down to use as needed, in different forms, in different ways. sometimes, in some places and certain cases, we need it more than usual, even if we don't think we do. at the same time, we have to give it out to maintain the balance and natural flow between our internal and external environments. 

harmful particles can be suspended in solution, fragments of things that should not be there, and if present in high enough concentrations, they can make us sick. perhaps our bodies have become weaker or untainted sources have grown scarce; perhaps neither, perhaps both. now, we have water that is sterile, bottled up and sold; no longer fuel for rockets but capped and stamped with an expiration date. afraid of what it used to contain or what used to contain it, it has been 'purified' and processed and packaged for the masses - labeled with information or added vitamins and gases. we become so used to these little transactions - the cost of convenience and guaranteed immortality - it's easy to forget that clean water can be free if you know where to find it. but water can never be safe; that's just not in its nature.