Embed from Getty Images
I feel such a connection with Standing Rock.
I couldn’t tell you a specific reason why. Not exactly, anyway.
I haven’t been there. I don’t know anyone from there and I have no magical story to tie myself to that windswept land.
And yet, I feel drawn and connected to what has been happening there.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been paying attention, and relying on the “alternative media,” who DO consistently report and inform on this situation.
Or maybe it’s because in Standing Rock, the people call themselves Water Protectors.
When I was 19, I got lead poisoning from our city water. Because it was a small (and predominantly white) town in 1990’s America, this problem was resolved swiftly. A few elderly people died and many people got ill, and that’s all it took for the town to spring into action.
Unfortunately for me, I am a big water drinker, and as I felt worse, I ate less and dropped every liquid but water. And I got sicker. We were sent home from the doctor several times, being told that everyone had a bad flu bug that was going around.
When we found out that I actually had lead poisoning, I weighed close to 90 pounds. It took me 2 years to get back to a normal weight and to grow out of child -size clothing. It took much longer to trust water or food and feel normal with it. In fact, it’s still a struggle at times.
Lead poisoning does not go away. Not entirely. It remains dormant and symptoms can reoccur when conditions are favorable.
I need more rest than most people. I have nerve deafness in one ear. And I have a pretty terrible short-term memory. I make a lot of notes and lists, but this does not help me keep track of say, a Pickleball score.
All in all, I’m lucky I found out when I did. I’m lucky I was not younger when it happened. I’m lucky to only have the issues that I do.
But it’s made me reasonably wary and suspicious of anything that endangers our water supply. Because we can’t live without water. Not for more than a few days. Our bodies are made of mostly water. And our groundwater is disappearing, and a lot of it is already toxic. And we have no Plan B, or Planet B.
For so many reasons, our water is growing toxic. This is a researchable fact and you can go find it yourself. I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt that you aren’t lazy, or ignorant.
It is widely taken for granted that clean water magically comes up out of the ground. Until I no longer had the luxury, I took water for granted too.
The Water Protecters are trying to save the water for all of us. Whether you believe it or agree with it or not.
Either way, toxic water will effect us all, and all of our families, if we do not act. If we do not take a stand before the water is undrinkable.
❤Water is Life❤
michelle roth 