Bodies of Water

For my Photovoice project, I chose my godfather, Jonathan Hunter, who is 41 years old and Peruvian-American. I chose him because he takes inspiring pictures of nature and our family, and I wanted to get to know more about his photos and the story behind them as well as what he sees through those pictures. All three photos were taken in Chile. My godfather gives his full consent to be a participant and to utilize his pictures and statements for my Photovoice project.

“As a swimmer, throughout my life, I have developed a dependent connection to water, in its various forms. Going out of the pool and immersing myself in water in its natural state is a way for me to disconnect from the world, to connect with the earth. These images, as a complement to this idea, represent for me that blue space of disconnection-connection, where the senses are heightened in a silent vastness.”

 Getting to experience a water connection is magical, healing, and powerful. My uncle has been a swimmer since a very young age. He connected with the water every day, understanding how to use this element. I, too, am a swimmer, and I quickly feel a connection with the water to his benefit so that he can swim faster. The feeling we have when we approach the sea’s beauty, sound, smell, and form helps us feel free for a moment. The touch of salty water in our bodies and hair is refreshing. “El Mar lo cura todo” is a famous saying mostly in Spanish-speaking countries; it translates to “The Sea heals it all.” This saying connects to what my uncle feels about this picture; he easily disconnects from all the chaos he might be experiencing at the time, any situation or problem happening in his daily life. It’s more about one’s mental and physical health and how the environment and nature around us can help us overcome it, how the element of water is so powerful, calm, and refreshing. I have also been a swimmer since I was a kid, and water has always been part of my life; each time my body and soul interacted, I felt purified, free, refreshed, and calmed. It was and is essential to get connected with water. This picture relates to module 6: LatinX and Latin American Environmental Humanities, the music video by the “Calle 13” group: “Muerte en Hawaii.” This video emphasizes how marine life is being destroyed by humankind. It relates to this picture because, without the sea, we cannot immerse and disconnect from the world for just a second; the threat to marine life affects our ability to get and feel this healing force of nature.

“Yes, it’s a source of pure water; in fact, a bottled water company is supplied by this river… ‘natural mineral water.’ Despite the attempt to encapsulate its purity, there’s no comparison to taking it from its source and capturing all the life and movement it carries entering the river, opening your mouth, and being immersed by the pristine cold of the turquoise.”

 Today, the uncertainty of water running out is increasing. According to WorldWildLife (WWF), approximately 1.1 billion people cannot access water. 1.1 billion people are as much as the whole country of Brazil, which is the fifth largest country in the world. Many people lack this essential element for their survival, and water is a human right to possess. Moreover, many water sources have started to dry due to climate change and pollution. Imagine water becoming more and more scarce; humankind is in danger, and our ecosystems are, too. The participant emphasizes the importance of rivers, the main source of water production that gets into human hands. He highlights that purified water gives us and nature life. Most importantly, water is life, and it needs to be preserved. If we take great care of water sources, new generations will have to live with the consequences of mankind.

“This is my last stop, the place where I’ll spend my final years, at least that’s the plan. If you want to draw a direct relationship between the environment and health, well, this means physical, mental, and spiritual health. Just connection. The environment is a reflection of oneself… or oneself reflecting the environment in which they live. The volcano is a friendly reminder that nothing is permanent.”

Throughout life, one’s goal is to live life at its fullest, not worrying about what the future holds and focusing on living in the present. He makes a valid point that the environment surrounding us is more valuable and significant for our lives. The lake is a type of body of water; it symbolizes reflection. Whenever we sit in front of a lake, we start reflecting on our life, our goals, accomplishments, or anything else that comes to our mind. It’s a great way to start your day and focus on what our physical, mental, and spiritual needs are and what we need to satisfy our health. The participant focuses on a natural that change will always happen; he uses the volcano as an analogy for changes in our lives. A volcano is formed through the ocean’s bed and rises, reaching for air; it’s a reminder of how changes are good for our mental, physical, and spiritual health. How change is inevitable, and the process of it can take you to your calm and safe space. The environment is always present in our surroundings, and we as a society do not appreciate it well. Our mental health depends on nature; trees give us oxygen, and animals and plants give us food and guarantee that the ecosystem is working as it should and keeping the circle of life going. We are destroying the environment without being aware of it, and it is killing millions. The environment, in a way, motivates us to keep going; seeing the sunshine makes us happy compared to seeing cloudy and rainy days, which are all caused by climate change.

Themes:

Each picture had a little health and environment related to it, highlighting the importance of taking care of ourselves; this is done by being surrounded by the environment, which goes vice versa. We can take advantage of what we have in front of us, appreciate it, and take care of it. Taking into consideration that life is short and can change slightly or drastically. Each change shapes us and helps us achieve comfort and balance in our physical, mental, and spiritual health. The themes explored are water, how water influences our physical, mental, and spiritual health, and water being an essential element to keep all living organisms alive. Water is life, and without it, we are lost. The sea, river, and lake are bodies of water; they are life forms. Each picture shows their beauty and the importance of protecting and preserving the environment and our natural resources. The sea, rivers, and lakes are vulnerable to pollution and other environmental threats. It’s crucial to protect these fantastic ecosystems for future generations to witness. The participant ensured the capture of these pure and calm moments but should have mentioned the importance of preserving them. These pictures emphasize the connection with water and how humans and ecosystems are connected to water. Giving more importance to environmental awareness, being healthy is accomplished by having a healthy earth. Also, water scarcity is a phenomenon we face today; it gets more serious each time people have less access to water. The responsibility is seen in all pictures; we need to take action and accountability for taking care of water, being aware of its scarcity, and thus being empathic with those who do not have easy access to it. Finally, the theme that is seen much is the importance of living in the present, taking care of what we possess and what is surrounding us.

References:

Calle 13. (2011). Muerte en Hawaii [Music video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ZAjASemgx3E?si=1HGdY_JgiK8rykH0