I'm sitting here on the steps of my big brother's house in Tacoma, Washington. That in itself is pretty incredible. Not just that I practically used to live here and now am finally here again after having not been back in over 8 years, but the fact that I'm sitting out on the front steps. The steps are dry, the sky is blue, and it's going to be hot-- all on the west side of the mountains in Washington State. Even for summertime that's somewhat of a treat.
Stepping out here the first thing that struck me, however, was the sight and smell of Puget Sound. I haven't been where I could wake in the morning and look out at the water for a couple of years now, not since we sold our place in Chicago. Doing so this morning makes me wonder, what is it about having the sight and smell of the water so close at hand? Although I'm a coward when it comes to open water swimming I have to say there are not many things I enjoy more than to be by the water, hearing the water lap the shore, smelling that unique earthy smell of water, fresh or salt. Last night even, before we lost the last light of day, we had to go down to the water's edge and enjoy the last of the sunset on the Sound. (You're welcome for the photo.)
I'm going to have to vote with the scientists on this one: Darwin was right. Being over 50% water I think it's where we come from. Oxygen is just too ubiquitous to know the difference and I've never been around a pile of carbon (unless you want to consider the wonder one feels when struck by the sight of mountains). But water gives me that sense of calm and content I don't find anywhere else.
Being that we are water and from water, it's only natural that being around water gives one that same feeling of comfort and connectedness that a chocolate chip cookie gets from seeing a pile of flour. A sense of happy connectedness, of peace, of calm, of belonging-- all the while hoping you don't get eaten alive!
Am I a scientist, or what?
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