These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

When I think about my favorite things to do, I think of two very broad categories: land and water. Since arriving in Menomonie, I’ve experienced amazing connections with both. I’ve hiked with my fellow researchers, smelled the fresh soil on a farm, and taken bike rides around town. I’ve also swam in Lake Menomin (twice!), which many people have called me crazy for. I love the experiences I can have on both land and water, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the way water shapes my life as of late.

As someone who grew up in the Great Lakes State, accessible, clean water was never of major concern. Most of my childhood, the Great Lakes were revered for this pristine quality. Never did I have to think about not having clean water to drink or beautiful water to swim and play in. In a lot of ways, this made me take water for granted. The ability to turn on the tap and be immediately greeted with potable water was something I never took the time to appreciate.

For many Wisconsinites, water is a huge part of life. The way in which farmers rely on water for their crops and local citizens reminisce about days spent on nearby lakes makes me feel very close in my relationship with water. 

These thoughts reminded of a post I saw online about a year ago. A woman created shrines that she placed around all the water sources in her home. For example, she would hang a beautiful blue painting above her kitchen sink. In her bathtub, she would place an array of crystals around the faucet. By her garden hose, she would build a small memento out of wood to commemorate the water flowing into her yard.

While I haven’t built any shrines here in Menomonie, I’ve been trying to take a moment of mindfulness before I use any water sources. I try to think about where the water came from, the effort it took to get it all the way to me, and why I am thankful for it. Inevitably, I still often forget to do this. I leave the water running while I brush my teeth. I start thinking about something in the shower and spend an extra five minutes in there. I do half of a load of laundry that could have definitely fit a few more items. But, I’m trying nonetheless. This relationship to water inspires my research here in the LAKES REU program.