Storytelling for Week 6: Crazy Water

Dear Joe Smith,

The following is a manuscript of a conversation between Dr. Phil Rupp and a unique patient who is not a human but is actually a glass of water. This is from their second meeting that occurred at noon on February 20th, 2016. The patient has not yet been diagnosed with any particular disease or disorder but is voluntarily seeking out help. He has been complaining of a multitude of ailments as well as being misunderstood and abused. It is our hope that you might be able to provide a second opinion on the patient and any thoughts you have in terms of diagnosis and/or treatment. 

Therapist: So, how has it been going this week so far? I know last week was our first time meeting and we have only just met in a way but I encourage you to try and be open with me so that we can develop a relationship. I know it can be hard at first but trust me when I say that I want to help you. 

Water: Well honestly, it has been kind of a crazy week so far. As you know I am from the ocean and this season is hurricane season so things have been a bit chaotic. Humans don't realize that the hurricanes make different water irritable and that is why you see such rough seas.

Therapist: I actually had no idea that that went on but it makes total sense. I think that weather would make me a little uneasy too. Have you been getting in a lot of arguments with neighbors?

Water: Yes, you could say that.

Therapist: Elaborate on that, how has that made you feel?

Water: It has just been especially tough this year. Humans and the amount of waste they throw on us has been reaching levels none of us had thought were possible. This has made us very frustrated because a lot of our friends and fellow sea creatures have been dying in record amounts. It has put a lot of stress on everyone so this hurricane season has been very confrontational.

Therapist: Wow, I didn't realize that was such a big issue?

Water: Yeah you might not know it but there are at least three places in the ocean that have become "water landfills" roughly the size of Texas. Those areas face some of the most waste because of the currents, they tend to pool the trash in places. 

Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Image Source

Therapist: So the issues you have been having aren't necessarily coming from your neighbors then?

Water: No not exactly. I mean frustration does get taken out on each other but that isn't the source. Excuse me for being blunt but it is the human race I am about fed up with. The lack of consideration and respect is almost unbelievable. I am not directing this right at you though I realize the issue is bigger than that.

Therapist: Well I am not so sure about that but tell me more. 

Water: Frankly, I feel abused. Here I am helping to cultivate this huge ecosystem that humans survive off. Here I am helping there be enough oxygen in the air to let humans breathe. Here I am helping to cool off the planet so that humans can live and not melt. It just feel like I am constantly helping and humans don't seem to acknowledge it.

Therapist: Why do you think humans don't realize this issue or chose not to react to the situation?

Water: Now that is a very good question. The ocean has a lot of conversation about this exact topic. I wish there was just one answer to this question but I think it is very complex and multi-faceted. 

Therapist: What do you personally think?

Water: For starters, I think most major media companies are focused on reporting on human related stories or obvious natural disasters. Since, the contamination of the ocean is something that occurs at a much slower rate then say a hurricane it is much harder to notice and report on. I also think humans are crippled with apathy and laziness and this causes them not to care. I think there are also a lot of people that do care and don't know what to do. Or there are people who care that don't have enough power or influence to bring about awareness and positive action. There are a lot of things human do as part of their businesses that they don't realize has a negative effect on the ocean. One example might be cattle farming. They don't realize that all that cow poop gets into the ground water and ends up at my front door for me to take a good wife of in the morning. 

Therapist: I think you might be being a little eccentric with all that. Have you had issues with hallucinations in the past?

Water: No! I am not hallucinating this and I find it offensive for you to think that. I also think it is ironic that humans do this to the ocean because they are essentially helping to kill off species of animals that live in the water that they eat! They are ruining their own food. 

Senka, you dead mon?
Image Source

Therapist: But how many people eat that much fish, I don't think we rely on fish all that much. But we are getting off topic. Do you feel like you have anger issues?

Water: Ya know, I think I am starting to be a little more angry these days. I think a lot of that is warranted though and if you were in my shoes I think you might snap a little too. Sometimes I feel like I am talking to a brick wall when I try to explain the current issues. 

Therapist: So you have been feeling excessively angry. It may be worth while to start you on some anti-anxiety medication. It could help with the anger. 

Water: I don't get why you humans love your pills so much. It seems like everyone is reliant on some drug or another. I want to get to the source of the problem and thats why I am trying to explaining these issues. I think they are the source of my problems.

Therapist: Honestly, it can be hard for one to know the source of their own problems. That is why I have a job and why I went to school for so many years. I am one of the people that can make those kinds of decisions about the source of problems. 

Water: Okay then what do you think?!

Therapist: I think that you have been suffering from delusional thoughts and are confused on a lot of things in your head and that causes you to become angry often. How old are you if you don't mind me asking?

Water: Older than any human.

Therapist: You could be suffering from Alzheimers. It is somewhat common in the elderly and has some of the symptoms I previously said. I will need to consult another doctor before making that decision though.

Water: Great, I can't wait to see how many meds you guys start telling me to take. 

Therapist: Well medicine is helpful and serves a valuable role in life.

Water: Riiiight. Is our time up yet?

Therapist: Yes it is, I will see you next week.

Water: See you then.

Author's Note. 

My story was inspired by The Legend of the Rice from Folklore of Laos. In the story rice is what the people eat and it is so big and nutritious that the people only need to eat one grain of rice to be satisfied. The grain would even roll down from the fields into the processing plant all by itself, which allowed the people not to have to harvest it. However, the processing plant eventually needed to be expanded and renovated. The people were under a time crunch to get the plant done before the rice came down from the fields. A lady working on the plant one day noticed the rice on its way and she asked in frustration why the rice couldn't wait until the people were done with the renovation. After that day the rice has always waited in the field for the people to harvest it and the size of the grains has grown much smaller.

I chose to do a story style that shows a conversation between a therapist and a glass of water because I thought it would be interesting and odd. I have had a few classes that have talked about ocean and water pollution. Some of the facts are astonishing and I hope that this story compels people to look for more information on the subject. 

I chose the images I did because I think they help the reader form an idea of the story and get their creative juices flowing as well as be informative. 

Bibliography. 

The Legend of the Rice, Folklore of Laos, Katherine Neville Fleeson, 1899.