Contemplation: On Water

Yeah, I’m gonna write a contemplation about water . . . what of it?  Okay, you’re probably asking yourself, “why would he want to write that?”  Well need I remind you that water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface and is a vital chemical substance to all life.  Water is amazing and deserves its dues.

WATER!

Just think about it for a second.  The stuff is amazing, and without it we wouldn’t even exist.  Sure there is a lot of it on this planet of ours, and yet for many people access to clean water is a real challenge.  We take it for granted here in the States that water is always available.  We take it so much for granted in fact that we are vain enough to shower and wash our clothing in fully potable water (this is arguably an unnecessary thing, and in many ways is detrimental to water conservation).

Chemically water, which is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen (hence the H2O), is an amazing substance on Earth simple because it is able to exist, with relative ease, in three different states of matter; solid, liquid, and gas.  Add to that  fact that it seems to be essential to the existence of life, and we should all be saying things like “water, holy fuck, you kick so much ass!”

But I digress really . . . I wasn’t intending this piece to be about all the scientific grandeur of water, but instead wanted to talk about water in my own life, specifically as a beverage.  Yes, I drink a ton of water (and then, as happens, excrete a portion as urine).  Over the past couple of years I have become a huge water drinker and I think that this is a really good thing, and I just want to sing my praise to a good ol’ cold glass of water.

Fact: There is no more refreshing beverage in the world than a cold glass of water.  People may want to argue this point with a number of contenders (I imagine cold beer will be pretty high up there, but I am only willing to allow it a second place slot).  Why is water number one in my book of refreshing?  Well it all goes back to that “essential for life” thing mentioned above.  While other chemicals present in other beverages may certainly provide benefits (as well as certain detractors) when we drink beverages the main thing our body is seeking is the thirst quenching chemical water that our cells need to survive, everything else is just a bonus.  Think about it, for a long part of history water was a primary beverage.  Sure people brewed beer and made wine and had other beverages, but when it came down to it, water was the thing to seek.

Okay, sure it doesn’t have much in the way of flavor, but when it comes down to it, and you are feeling thirsty, what your body is really craving for quenching is simply water.  While other things will certainly help wet your lips, they are all just added bonuses (or, again, potential detractors . . . I’m looking at you specifically soda and your high fructose corn syrup).

Of course water is not without its problems too.  Much of the world is without clean drinking water and in this case standing water can easily be a vector for a wide number of diseases.  If you drink too much water in a time period, without replenishing you electrolyte levels, you can risk water intoxication, or hyper-hydration, which can be fatal (so basically, if you are like me and like drinking lots of water, remember to keep your electrolytes in check too).  You can also be killed by water as falling icicles or tsunamis or gigantic ice asteroids . . . just sayin’ and all.

But all and all water is good stuff and we want it and need to preserve it. 

In regards to other beverages I drink, I have come to realize that all of them are really just water with some added stuff.  I am a huge coffee and tea drinker and both beverage are essentially hot water that has had some plant matter soaking in it (especially considering that I no longer add sugar or milk or anything to either).  Then, of course, there is beer. 

Having been brewing my own beer for over a year now I have learned a lot about what goes into a good beer.  One thing that is often taken for granted, as it seems to be in so many other ways in the world, is the water.  People are always talking about the grain bill or the hops when they are brewing, but the water often goes over looked.  But think about it, water makes up the biggest portion of the beer being brewed.  When brewing it is vital to get water to the  right temperatures at different times in the process as well as to make sure that the right amounts of water are used.  Hard water versus soft water (basically determined by mineral content dissolved in a water source) can have impacts upon the brewing process. Let’s face it, without water we wouldn’t have beer (delicious wonderful beer!).

So yeah, water, it is pretty kick-ass stuff.  I say that we fill our cups, and raise a toast to good ol’ H2O.  Where would we be without it?

~ by Nathaniel on February 18, 2010.