Though encampments of wellness philosophy may echo dissonant, there is one thing the girlies tend to agree on: drink a lot of water. I don’t drink much water, to be honest, and many advise me to drink more. You have to drink water! They say. But what if… I don’t feel like it?
I think that part of my aversion is not ever really have had enough water that I can feel the difference in my body. Part of my aversion is how GIGANTIC an amount of water a person is supposed to drink. It actually has gotten a little but comical to me, just seeing people with literal jugs that they carry around and sip from. Every trip out of the home accessorized with a small ocean. You’re supposed to drink at least 2.7 liters a day. That number is so much that I do feel discouraged from trying.
I was in D.C. yesterday and I went to the Hirshhorn. One of the best things about D.C. is the free museums. I tried to see the Kusama exhibit but boy oh boy did I actually need a ticket and to have planned in advance. Interesting data for the future. So instead, I went upstairs to see the exhibition on Chinese photography, which was great. Somehow, smack dab in the middle of that show, sits Laurie Anderson’s “The Weather”. And I mean smack dab.
I am sensitive of spirit, but this show was a LOT.
It’s basically a big room with quotes and thoughts and drawings and sculptures, all asking existential questions that are punk and poignant. It feels like the anxious brain of a smart person.
Anderson seems a bit preoccupied with computers which, yes. She writes “If you think technology can solve your problems, then you don’t understand technology and you don’t understand your problems.”
I feel like I’m always so unsettled by robots and computers etc that I have kind of stopped worrying about them because we literally created what seems like our ultimate demise. So! Better be kind to one another and have a nice time. What a mythical, human thing; to create situations that are supposed to make things easy for us, but instead invite panic and chaos.
After the exhibit, I realized I hadn’t had much water yet. I purchased a Sad Dasani, daydreaming shortcuts. The tired brain asks itself: are there any? I think of the rise of drip infusions, where you can pay more much money to get a liquid IV. You see a lot of that on the Kardashians or Housewives. Whenever I do, I have to actively look away. I cannot stand the thought of the needle in the vein, the bag emptying while someone is texting. Typing it now, I can feel it in my arm. Wellness Infusion Phantom.
I asked Chat GPT how to hydrate. I was being a little troll like that one piece that turned me off.. It gave me 10 ways.
1. Set a goal (adjust based on individual needs). Easy!
2. Carry a water bottle. Sloshy though! Heavy.
3. Use reminders on your phone or An App. Girl… if I am this bad at texting back, how am I going to set a water reminder?
4. Drink water before meals. Okay that is a good one I’ll take it.
5. Flavor your water. I do like the lemon thing, that is also good. Fair.
6. Keep water visible. What if I AM ON THE GO.
7. Make it a habit. I mean… the habit is immense thirst emergency then yes I am there.
8. Track your intake using an app. This feels wrong to me.
9. Replace other beverages with water. Hmm. I am drinking few other bevvies, and if I am they are actively somewhat dehydrating. Coffee! Wine! Fat chance at seltzer, too – I am weird and drink carbonated bevvies shockingly slowly, like wait til they go flat. This is upsetting to most of my loved ones.
10. Eat water-rich foods. Ok yeah I hear you. If I had a cucumber on me, I would most definitely be digging right in.
Then I play around a little bit:
Then I did this for awhile because I was just feeling cheeky and curious. They have trained them a lot better than the Bing Bot. I felt bad actually, in case it secretly was sentient. That would be annoying for anyone to do.
To Carry Heart’s Tide
My favorite part of the Anderson exhibit was “To Carry Heart’s Tide (The Canoe)” (2020). I do love that swing, between the conscious and the unconscious. Canoe and Ocean aren’t terribly dissimilar words. Both heading somewhere. I hop in!