I Was Thinking... Water

What is it about water that draws people to it? Over the Memorial Day weekend, I was able to sit on a dock and just watch the sun set over one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. The water gently lapping at the shore created a calming effect that only nature seems to be able to produce.
With the unofficial start of summer in Minnesota, thousands if not millions seek the tranquility that water seems to provide. But this attraction to water isn’t just a Minnesota phenomenon.
Along both coasts, the most prized pieces of real estate have an ocean view. Whether it is the Atlantic, the Pacific, or the Gulf of Mexico, people want to be close to the water. If you aren’t close to an ocean, a lake will do or a river.
Homes, cabins, resorts, condos, or campgrounds see water as a valuable resource to have nearby. Even a babbling brook running through your property adds value for the owner. And it doesn’t have to be large. Little boys are drawn to a creek, a pond, or even a big puddle.
Despite our fondness for water, it is a fickle friend. While there are so many ways we enjoy and depend on it, it is also one of the most destructive forces of nature. If you live long enough along any major river, sooner or later you will experience the devastating damage water can inflict when the river floods an area.
Any city along the Gulf of Mexico has or will suffer the shocking power a storm surge can cause from a hurricane. Rushing waters coming out of the mountains can carve new paths and carry away anything in its path. Even without an ocean, river or lake, heavy rains can turn a farm field into a quagmire. In towns, a long heavy downpour can seep into houses or even back up sewer systems. In spite of its power to destroy, it is also the life blood for our very survival.
In the last couple weeks, farmers and gardeners alike have put seeds or plants into the ground with hopes of another successful growing season. Whether it be thousands of acres of corn or soybeans or a backyard garden, they all need water. Our whole food supply is dependent on getting just enough water at the right time. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. While we’ve devised ways to irrigate, for the most part we depend on the inconsistent supply from nature.
Water is essential in so many other ways as well. While we may survive for quite some time without food, we don’t last very long without water. The human body is made up of about 60% water, so it is a necessity of life. Other than our direct consumption, we cook with it, and wash everything from our dishes, our floors, our cars, and ourselves with it. The industrial and manufacturing uses are too many to even consider.
Over this last weekend, thousands rushed to their favorite water location to fish, boat, ski, or swim. It is one of Minnesota’s most attractive resources. With the warm weather, local pools will be popular places for wet enjoyment as well.
But again, this water that provides so much enjoyment also has a deadly side. Every year many people die from accidental drownings. We often don’t respect the dangerous nature of our beloved source of rest and relaxation. As with so many things in life, there is often both a beneficial and destructive nature to the same thing.
But we of the Land of Sky-Blue Waters are continually drawn to the lakes and rivers that provide so much enjoyment. In the Upper Midwest we appreciate our summers so much because we survived the previous winters. Whether we are drinking it, using it for a multitude of tasks, or just enjoying being on it or in it, water is really something we can’t do without. I’m happy our state has a lot of it even if the county I live in is lacking.
Did You Ever Wonder? — Can you cry underwater?
Photo: I was thinking Ron Albright