This is water

Imagine this: Two young fish are swimming along when they pass an older fish who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” They swim until finally, one of them stops and asks, “What the heck is water?”

That’s how David Foster Wallace opened his famous 2005 commencement speech at Kenyon College. It’s a simple story, but it dives deep into the essence of our existence. It’s about the ordinary things we don’t even notice daily, the backdrop of our everyday dramas.

Let’s be honest: most days, we are like those young fish swimming through our routines. But maybe we need to ask ourselves what the water is that we are swimming in, the reality we soak in yet often ignore.

Most of the time, we are on our default setting, that automatic mode where everything revolves around our immediate needs and feelings. But if we’re not careful, that default setting can lead us to a narrow, self-centered existence.

So, what does it mean to see the water? It means being awake to the actual choices available to us daily. It means understanding that our default setting isn’t the only way to experience life.

Thinking is hard. It requires us to be alert and attentive, keep our thoughts away from the default mode, and consider the incredible realities that other people live.

Every day, we make countless decisions, from what we eat for breakfast to how we react to a stressful email. Each choice might seem insignificant, but together, they’re the painting the canvas of our lives. They’re the water we choose to swim in.

Every day, I try to remember this. When I’m stuck in traffic or waiting in a long line, I remind myself that this is my water. How I swim in these moments — with frustration or patience, indifference or empathy — defines my reality.

A few years ago, a friend introduced me to the concept of “la pecera,” a Spanish term for “the fishbowl.” He talked about finding patterns in the reality that we see, like imaginary fishbowls that seem whole but, in our consciousness, are actually tiny, separate spaces. The fishbowl is defined by our day-to-day activities, people, work, house, and school. Some people never leave their original fishbowl and live their entire lives within the same reality. Others explore different fishbowls, moving between them. Some progress and gain access to more affluent fishbowls. But, in the end, the patterns of people’s conformations remain the same.

We don’t choose or decide which fishbowl we’re born into or want to live in; we simply live and define our imaginary fishbowl. Our habits and actions shape its size and dynamics. I believe social media allows people to see how life is in different fishbowls, and that can generate anxiety. In the past, we could only see our own fishbowl. If we moved between them, we could see with our own eyes, not through the eyes of others.

It might be a good idea to stop occasionally, sense the water, and be aware of where we are swimming day to day. For some, exploring different fishbowls can be exciting; for others, the current fishbowl is comfortable and familiar. Recognizing these fishbowls in our lives can be an enlightening experience. It can help us understand the confines of our own perspectives and perhaps inspire us to venture beyond them.

In both the story of the young fish and the concept of the fishbowl, there’s a common theme: awareness. It’s about being conscious of our environment, the constraints we live within, and the possibilities that lie beyond them. By asking ourselves about the water — or the fishbowl — we live in, we can begin to make more mindful choices about our lives and maybe find joy and meaning in new, unexplored waters.

So, as I go about my day, I keep asking myself, “How’s the water?”

I look around, breathe, and see the world beyond my immediate view. And maybe, just maybe, by being aware of the water, I can navigate life’s currents with a little more fun and meaning.

Because, in the end, isn’t that what it’s all about? Making conscious choices, seeing beyond our narrow perspectives, and understanding that the water we swim in is shared by everyone.