My wife works as an aquatic rehabilitation therapist, and each year at Christmas, she and her coworkers exchange gifts. This year, one of the items she received was a book called Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, Or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, And Better At What You Do by Wallace J. Nichols. When I saw the book, I have to admit I was a little intrigued. Even though it is Jamie and not I who spends much of the day in or near water, I really wanted to read what this book had to say. Anything that seems to offer me an opportunity to live better piques my interest, and so I was really curious what Mr. Nichols might have to say.
The book did not follow the path I had expected. I expected to learn more about how Jamie's job in the pool was simply adding to her joy and helping her to care for others better (but, with or without the book saying so, I know that it is). What I found was an amalgamation of different threads. Mr. Nichols clearly has a deep love for our liquid planet, and rather than just writing a book about why we should work to preserve and protect our waterways, he wrote a book that looks at strong data to make his argument. Personally, I love the angle he takes. Unfortunately, it is a little too easy to be written off as an 'environmentalist' or 'sentimentalist' when a person talks about taking steps to be a good steward of the created world. Unfortunately, the truth is that more and more of us are losing a sense of connectedness to the world around us. And not just to the world around us, but to the creatures, even the people who live around us. We are growing more isolated and more stressed, and we are starting to diminish our care for other things all in the name of efficiency.
Mr. Nichols' book shows us that there is, not surprisingly, a connection to our mental wellness and the time we spend in the creation. Not only is there a connection to our mental wellness based on time in creation, but, our time near water brings even higher levels of brain activity in the places where we need it most. Time spent on or near water has been shown to help rehabilitate those with PTSD and even people who are struggling with addictions. And yet, so few people make time to spend in or near the water.
One thing I was not clear about, but I assume there is at least a corollary relationship, is whether it matters if the water is from a "natural" source like a river or ocean, or if my wife's time in the pool is equally beneficial. My guess is that it is less beneficial, but that it is definitely better than being away from water altogether.
The book ends with what I believe is a tangent from the main thesis, but it is still a powerful point of connection. Mr. Nichols carries blue marbles with him when he speaks, and gives them to his audience. As he shares data about our blue planet and how spending time near the water benefits us, he takes his listeners down a different path with the marble. He encourages listeners and readers to reflect with gratitude for all of the memories we have made in, near, on, or under water, and then to think of one person for whom we are grateful. As we bring the person to mind, he suggests giving them the marble, and telling them how grateful we are for that person.
While it seems a tangent, I believe that it is an important gift to carry for this reason. When we are grateful, not only are we mentally better, but one small point of gratitude can help us to bring our entire life under the sway of gratitude. When we are thankful, we are more considerate, and that level of consideration extends toward every person or thing we encounter. By associating his audience's gratitude for a person with a blue marble that represents the earth, one cannot help but feel a bit of gratitude for the life we have been able to live on this blue planet, and to develop a "blue mind" in the process.
I recommend the book for anyone who cares about our planet and our waterways, and even for those who don't. Because if one doesn't care, maybe taking a look at all of the benefit we glean from this watery world might nudge one to a greater sense of gratitude and care for the gift of water.
May we each find some space to sit near, on, in, or under the water in the days and weeks ahead, and, as a result, may we find ourselves filled with gratitude, hope, peace, rest, and refreshment, so that we can bring our very best selves to this world around us.
Since my roommate Derek and I started a road trip at the beginning of July, I thought I would try going without shampoo and just using soap instead. It’s been an interesting adjustment for sure.
Two weeks into my new washing regimen, I talked to my dad about his use of shampoo. He said he rarely uses it, but rather uses soap, and has for most of his life. I took his experience as a confirmation of sorts that maybe I didn’t need shampoo and conditioner. The irony is that I had just purchased some eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner, and now I may just be saving it for special occasions.
My latest conundrum has been with regard to what soap to use. I looked at some castille soap, and considered buying a bar, but then I thought back to my childhood and ivory soap. I read the ingredients, and they seemed simple enough, so I’ve started using Ivory again for the first time since my childhood.
I’m not sure I’ll stick with it, in fact, I’d love to hear your thoughts regarding soaps and shampoos. (I hear that some people make their own soap out of olive oil or coconut oil too!)
Derek just made up some laundry detergent using Ivory soap, borax, washing soda, and water. I’m curious as to how it will work. It ends up costing us about a penny/load to use this detergent in our front loading washer.
The irony of this post, is that I hadn’t intended to write about all of these uses of Ivory, but I felt I should explain before telling you about my olfactory memory and using the soap for the first time since childhood. The aroma took me back to learning to wash my face and body in the bathroom sink alongside my dad. As I breathed in, I found myself remembering being little, and putting the soap in a washrag and lathering it up as I scrubbed my face and arms after playing all evening in the dirt. I can remember our little bathroom on fifteenth street, and moving from an old bathtub with feet to a shower during my gradeschool years. I remember my dad standing at the mirror with me and we would wash at the same time—I think partially because much like many little boys, I avoided washing like the plague (after all, my dirt was a badge of honor and a mark of the fun I had while playing—plus sometimes soap would get in my eyes and burn). Then he would take a cup full of some kind of magic concoction, and wave a brush in it, and then he would use the brush to apply this concoction to his face—his shaving cream wasn’t in a can, but a cup.
Because we only used Ivory growing up, it’s aroma is one I identify with what “clean” smells like, and it’s one that brings back many memories of our life growing up before the days of the internet, blogging, facebook, and twitter. It reminds me of catching fireflies, eating cherry pie made from the cherries out of our back yard, and swinging on our old rope swing. It was usually before or after those summer events that I would find myself lathering up and cleaning up.
Hope that your week is off to a “clean” start, and that it is filled with aroma’s that evoke nostalgia.