February Great Story by Linda Vo, 2017-18 Bay Area Water Fellow
As someone who loves learning, I enjoy watching TED Talks for its educational and inspirational content. This past weekend, I was watching a TED Talk titled Be humble – and other lessons from the philosophy of water, where Raymond Tang, the speaker, shares the three life lessons he learned from water.
Mr. Tang speaks about how water inspired him to have humility, find harmony, and to be more open in his life. In a world that is constantly on the go and filled with stress, Mr. Tang states that his life improved greatly after adopting such practices based on the philosophy of water. The talk reminded me of the little (but major) reasons for why I love water so much and why I endeavor to educate others on the importance of water in our world, whether it be in regards to the simple (but significant) benefits of water or the complex issues surrounding it.
For example, last week, the Water Conservation team received a handwritten letter from a fifth grade student requesting general information on droughts and water conservation. The student stated that he believes that drought is an issue in California and that it will continue to be an issue unless something is done. I was so happy to see that a young person is interested in learning more droughts and what actions can be taken. Therefore, I excitedly composed a handwritten letter with suggested resources and pulled together informational materials for him. The water world is very complicated, and I hope that I can continue to have the opportunity to teach others about the importance of water and what we can learn from it.