Theory of Water Introduction

How does water and the different paths that it takes, help shape the paths that people take, which in turn help create the identity that they have? Water has an essential role in all forms of life because this role shapes how people develop their beliefs and ways of thinking. Water is not only essential to the life of humans, but its importance extends to the life of other animals, plants, and countless organisms on Earth. One could argue from a non-scientific standpoint that water is its own organism, with a mind and body of its own. Water can appear in many forms, from oceans and lakes to the water flowing through and out of people’s bodies. Despite these different forms, one constant remains: water influences everyone’s life, shaping how people think and act. Water mirrors human life because as it moves it shifts through different paths that shape where it goes, just as people’s shifting paths shape who they become. Water can combine with other water, forming larger bodies that share a path. Water can also break into different paths, becoming smaller bodies of water separating into different directions. Similarly, people move through life in a comparable way. People join into groups of families, friends, and organizations, and sometimes they leave these groups they are a part of to go their own way in life. Other times people stay with a group their entire life, never leaving them until the end. Water acts in the same way as it moves through its own life on Earth. People can learn a great deal from water if they are willing to take a closer look.

My theory of water is that just like people water is constantly changing paths, which helps form what that water is or the identity of that water. People are the same way as their identities and beliefs are shaped by the path or journey they have gone through in life. However, just like people everyone’s path on this Earth is unique, which is what helps shape and form what people believe and how they think. Water can be found in many forms. As Simpson stated, “Water is a liminal space, always shifting between states. This network is the container of life on our planet, and as a container it is constantly moving and changing form, taking up different amounts of space” (Simpson, 47). Simpson explains how water is constantly shifting forms, which gives each bit of water a uniqueness to it that differs from other parts of water. Water appears in many forms; however, the interesting thing is that every body of water is unique. No matter how similar one body of water is to another it is never the same. This is because every path of water is different. Whether water is in the form of an ocean, a lake, or in a bottle, the paths that the water took differ from other bodies of water that are similar to it. Water can join into one large body, like when people join groups or organizations, sharing their ideas based on the path they took to get there. Water can also break apart into different paths, like when people leave a group or move to a different part of the world. David Cordingly explains this in Under the Black Flag by stating, “A study of the tracks of the pirate ships shows many of them zigzagging all over the place without apparent reason” (Cordingly, 90). When these paths break apart, people and water take a part of their experience with them to share with the new place they are going to. Water’s path can also reach its final form or resting point, similar to people when they decide to stay in the same place for the rest of their lives. Just like water, everyone’s form or beliefs are based on their past experiences or paths they took to get to where they are. It is important for people to understand that just like water the journeys of other individuals in life, vary from their experiences. So, it is vital that we treat everyone with respect, even if their beliefs and ideals vary from our own.

My own memories and experiences with water show how its paths have shaped my identity through family, schooling, and work. Most of my memories of water come from when I was growing up and lived in Kansas City, Missouri. My family and I would visit our family in Michigan two times a year; Once in the wintertime when the water was frozen over most of the time, and once in the summer when we would enjoy fun activities on the lake. Being up north on a lake in Michigan brings back some of the best memories from my childhood, because I always seemed to have a fun time on the lake. I was able to see my cousins, grandparents, and extended family members, and it was overall just a good time. For me, water has always meant family, and a point of coming together from different parts of the world. As Krawec stated “I stood beneath stands of black sand spruce and looked across the lake, and it felt so familiar that it ached. I went down to the rocky beach and put my hands in the water, and it remembered me” (Krawec, 128). Water has a way of bringing up past experiences, memories, and people that we have connected with, which help shape who we are and what we believe. I also greatly relate to water from a school and work standpoint. I am a mechanical engineer at Trane Technologies, an HVAC company, where water plays a crucial role in improving the systems that are used. From an engineering standpoint, water has been used to power many machines, cities, and has also been used to improve our society in many other ways. From my work standpoint, water is essential to the heating and cooling of buildings. Without water, the air conditioners that are used to help keep operating rooms and medical laboratories at the correct temperature wouldn’t function correctly, which could greatly harm people needing medical attention. Water is essential to life and everything we use to help create a more relaxing and positive life.

References

Simpson, Leanne Betasamosake. Theory of Water : Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead, Haymarket Books, 2025. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/lib/gvsu/detail.action?docID=31529520.

Krawec, Patty, and Nick Estes. Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future. Broadleaf Books, 2022. https://gvsu365-my.sharepoint.com/personal/malagonj_gvsu_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive

Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag. Random House Publishing Group, 2013.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sBlQ-ct1BBRtCiED_yDy3eV75hiLqE_d/view