Muddy Water

Recently, as we headed up I-35 on an adventure to visit family, Baby Nerd randomly asked, “So is like all of the water the same water? Does it all touch?” She then pointed out the most memorable waters she has visited, which included Lake Erie, Puget Sound, the Pacific Ocean, and the Missouri River. We agreed that yes, in a way, all of the waters are connected. Of course being complete English nerds, the two adults in our outfit reveled in the possibilities of her metaphors.

No matter your beliefs, its pretty obvious Americans as a whole have been spending the past two months being kind of, well, shitty to one another. As soon as we speak out for one thing, it means we are against another. Black and white, right and wrong -never mind the gray areas. This negativity has been building and will continue to snowball until who-knows-when. Maybe it is necessary. But holy cow, how can we even truly understand or formulate our own beliefs unless we take time to escape?

Back to the water. Have you ever noticed how grounding it is to stare at moving water? After a whirlwind of a week, not too long ago, we went for a hike with a few close family members. Our goal was to burn off some steam by trying out some old goose and duck calls we have had in the family for a while, but that didn’t quite work out. Instead we found a path surrounded by tall prairie grass and just kept walking. We played around, joking, pushing, and stepping on each other’s shadows until we came to a bench overlooking the Muddy Mo. Then we stopped and sat in silence. Our Nerd Boy throwing in sticks and rocks; the rest of us quietly watching them float downstream in our own weird, made-up spiritual ceremony. Churning oceans are usually a symbol for change, but that day the pull of the river did the trick. When we were ready, we simply stood up and walked away feeling a little bit lighter.