Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Water...yuck!

This week, as I donated money to a friend’s charity for clean water in Ethiopia, I started to feel a little guilty.  Someone feeling guilt over making a donation to help drill for water in Africa may seem strange, but it’s perfectly normal when that person despises drinking water herself! 

I should be grateful that I could turn on a faucet and get a sip of clean water whenever I want, but to be honest, I’m not as appreciative as I should be.  I usually prefer thirst to drinking a glass of water.  It has absolutely no taste to it, and it rarely satisfies me (unless I’m outdoors in 90° plus weather, the water is ice cold, and there is no available option of anything else to drink). 

Plus, water burns my throat.  Everyone laughs or gives me quizzical stares when I tell them this, but it’s the truth!  It doesn’t happen all the time, but it especially happens when the water is room temperature!  Now, it doesn’t burn right away; it’s more of an “after-burn” that sets a minute or two after taking a drink.  It’s similar to the feeling one gets when the beginnings of a sore throat kicks in.  The pain is felt in the very back and extends up towards the nasal passage.  I’ve no idea how long it lasts, but evidently it lasts long enough for me to know that I don’t like to take the risk of having it happen again. 

In an attempt to be healthier and drop a few pounds around the waist, a few years ago, I started bringing a water bottle to work that I refilled throughout the day.  Every once and a while, I’d finish my desired 64 oz, but usually, I failed.  This was mostly due in part to the fact that my ice would melt after my first bottleful, and after filling it with lukewarm tap water, it would sit untouched the rest of the day.  However, the excuse I like to go with is my lack of potty breaks while teaching. 

Being able to pee anytime is a luxury that teachers do not get.  As a middle school teacher, I only had 2 chances to pee during school hours: morning break and lunch.  Usually, my morning break was filled with helping students with academic questions and/or life mentoring, so really, I had one shot at lunch to relieve myself.  During my 64oz days, I’d have no choice but to shoo the kids out during break and get rid of the water I’d been downing.  In extreme circumstances, during instructional time, I’d have to open the connecting doors to my team teacher’s room and ask that they watch my class.  Since I disliked water anyway, I found that it was much easier not to drink water altogether.  A win-win situation.

Now that I’m unemployed, there really is no good reason for me not to drink 8 glasses a day.  Especially now that I’ve been reminded of the many people who die of diseases from unhealthy drinking water.  I’ll certainly start being more grateful for the access I have to my water, but I already know, there’s no way I’m ever going to enjoy the tasteless, burning feeling that water gives me. 


**If you want to help get clean water to those in need, you can donate and assist my friend in reaching her goal by clicking HERE.  (Donations can be made anonymously.) 

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