I Am Water.

[I should have read through this one more time but my tangents aren’t going anywhere so why waste the time.]

I Am Water.

Last weekend, I scored permits for one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Ohio, Robinson Falls. I was stoked because they gave me permits for both days. My wife and I went Saturday and my Momma and I hit up the falls Sunday.

If you follow any of my adventures, you know my mom is one of my favorite adventure buddies. We always end up in some sort of deep conversation. I had just finished photographing the falls again since the lighting was so incredibly different from the day before thanks to the weather. I made a comment about how it was incredible the way the water had carved its path. Then, she posed the question – Would I rather be the rock or the water?

I made a comment about how it was incredible the way the water had carved its path. Then, she posed the question – Would I rather be the rock or the water?

There was no hesitation in my response. “Water,” I replied. She didn’t answer or agree nor disagree but she posed the opposite for the sake of conversation. Her reasoning was that the rock gets to interact and influence more water than water does rock. She continued on by saying one drop of water is only in that one spot for just an instant in most cases whereas the rock stays there and touches all of the water passing by. She also said without rock there wouldn’t be a waterfall in the first place.

Her explanation just enhanced my reasoning for choosing water. I’m going to dismiss the second of her argument because, well, without water there is no waterfall either so we will call that a wash. I want to focus on the first counterpoint.

So, let’s focus on why I knew instantly water was the correct choice for me. It’s a simple yet complicated answer- rock stays in one position. It never moves. (yes, i know – rock slides but we are focusing on rock and water together) Rock only causes the water to react as it comes by. Rock is only impacting the water in its immediate surroundings for a millisecond of that drop of water’s journey.

It is only a millisecond of the life of the rock as well so how much influence does it really have over the water? Does it have any at all or is it simply just something the water must react too? The water, however, shapes the rock over time. All of those different little pieces of water coming in contact change the surface of the rock. Water gets the change the shape of many rocks in a variety of new places.

The water. Oh the water. I never realized how much why I would choose water reflects me as a person. Water never stays in one place for very long, even in ponds and lakes, there is still movement. For those of you who know me, I do not like to sit still. I have lived all over, even within states. I have owned my current home for 5 years now so a definite change of pace for me. However, this stir-craziness has propelled me to travel more rather than the “travel” being the consistent moving. The two situations are an interesting thing for me to ponder for an entirely different post so we’ll go back to the water.

The water moves over all of these different parts of the rock. It sees the rock in so many different ways. All of these different scenarios where water and rock interact – waterfalls, lakes, rivers, streams, creeks. Water continues its journey over all these different types of rock, in all these different types of places. Water is not really doing the changing of the rock but at the same time the rock changes waters course that probably makes no sense but the water is shaping the way the rock is. The rock just helps change the water’s journey. Whether that be in a quiet creek, over rocks making it ripple – water is experiencing new sensations. That’s what the rock does to the water. The rock helps contribute to the water’s experience. The water doesn’t even realize sometimes that it’s shaping all of those different parts of rock it has touched that led to its experience.

I know that probably sounds ridiculous but it really resonates with me. I don’t want to stay in one place and only have an affect on the people who are passing through. I want my journey to take me all over the place, to experience new things, new places. I want my journey to help shape as many people as I can. I want to experience the exhilaration of a giant leap of faith like the water does when it falls over a cliff. I want to slow down and enjoy the surroundings like a slow moving pond or country stream. I want to feel an intensity like water does through rapids. I want my journey to flow. I want my journey to be full of experience. I want to have a part in shaping the world. I want to help create the beautiful things in this world. And when the journey is over, I want to return to the sky and await my turn to fall back to earth.

So, my question to you – Are you water or are you rock? I am water.

(Disclaimer: When telling my mom this inspired a new blog post, she wanted to make sure I made it clear she did not choose rock, merely wanted to allow for conversation. 🙂 Reasons I love her. )

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