Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
– Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, 1798
Water. H2O. “Water, water, everywhere.” I often wondered where that saying came from, and I didn’t realize it was from Coleridge until recently. Our bodies are made up of over 60% of water and two-thirds of the Earth is covered with water. Water is everywhere. Yet, not everyone has access to clean drinking water – “nor any drop to drink.” This can be easy to forget this when you have access to running water.
I have always had a good relationship with water. I like to drink it regularly and will choose it over other beverages. As a child, regular camping trips taught me to not take running water for granted, and my great-grandmother’s rustic cabin in Maine taught me to not take HOT running water for granted every summer of my childhood when we had to boil water to wash dishes. When Hurricane Sandy hit this past fall and we were without electricity for several days I was again reminded of those summers boiling water to wash dishes. I was thankful for our gas grill, which allowed me to do so, and that all we lost was our electricity for a few days.
Yet, overall I am horrible at drinking my daily requirement of water. I become busy enough throughout the day that I forget; I forget until after a workout when my stiff, achy muscles remind me of my forgetfulness. One of my friends carries around large bottle of water with her each day, and I’ve been inspired. So in order to try and be better about keeping myself hydrated, especially now that summer is here, today I have begun carrying around a large bottle of water myself.
Here it is. My giant bottle of water, all 101 fluid ounces. I have begun my water challenge for the summer, and hopefully I can turn this into a healthy habit. How much water do you drink each day? Do you have trouble remembering to drink enough water each day?
If you are interested in finding out more information about helping those who do not have easy access to water, something I have just begun learning about myself, check out websites such as The Water Project , Clean Water Action, and Starbucks Ethos Water Fund.
Savory Sweet Eats 