As the Water Goes

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Lately, I’ve been knocking up against some hard edges which may be why I’ve also found myself thinking about fluidity and the Bruce Lee quote on being water:
 
“Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless – like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
 
Lee brings up a good point. We talk about water as if going with the flow is all peaceful when water can also knock you over and pull you under. Water is many things. The way I like to think about being water most is the way my partner, Gary, talks about standing at the top of a mountain and picking a ski line: go where the water would.
 
When you look down the mountain like that, you do get a sense of where things want to flow.
 
“Maybe go with that,” says the voice in my head.
 
“I will try,” says I.
 
Be well, my friends. Be water this holiday season,
 
E