SPLASH!

Water is my friend. I grew up across the street from the swimming pool, & pretty much LIVED there. Daughter K broke her arm once, and the cast was so soggy gross by the time she got it off (grandma & grandpa were right there still!) I think the doctor was REALLY grossed out. I didn't care - it still held her bones in place to heal, didn't mold or stink, and we were happy soggy people.
Sitting by the ocean can calm me like nothing else can, no matter how hot/cold it is; whether I'm alone or surrounded by thousands. A calm lake says "peace", a river is just happy. And you have to chase waterfalls from time to time. (maybe not the ones of the white powder variety though - I've never tried drugs & am very thankful for that) You've got to get out of your comfort zone from time to time. Hopefully you've always got the lakes & rivers to fall back on, but you really need the waterfalls.
If I hadn't chased a waterfall, I'd still be in small town Montana - or dead. I made some stupid young rebel with no clue decisions, and was too young stupid rebel with no clue to back down or admit mistake. I made terrible decisions about & with men, and instead of backing off or going away, I stayed & fought. Hard. Until the chance to chase a waterfall came from a very unexpected source - a brother I'd never really gotten along with, and his bride of one month. My daughter and I moved to Vegas, where I made lifelong friends who are real people (to add to those from Montana) & would do anything for me, or with me. Visa versa. I learned that there is more to life than small friendly towns where the closest mall/airport is 230 miles away, and it's good. I learned (as did daughter) that I/we can make it anywhere! We (I'll just include her without the slash here - we were in it together) learned how to drive in the city, how to spend the nights alone without fear, how to take full advantage of everything the city had to offer! We learned how to make it in the big school/workforce. Take chances, and LIVE. We were very lucky - we had the lakes & rivers to fall back on, and we knew it. We still do. I'm sure that makes chasing waterfalls easier. Thanks parentals & bro - I've told them they probably saved my life. They'd do it again. ;-) I'm in a much smaller city now (via Phoenix & then small town non-Montana), and have found that big cities (Vegas) can be a lot friendlier than the one I'm in. Daughter is in small non-Montana town, and she & S-I-L are very involved in all that business owner/minivan driving soccer mom involves, but have very fond memories of the "big city". We still tell stories and laugh until we cry. I'm going to hang out in the calmer non-falling waters for now - until my grandkids are grown & on their own, but then watch out waterfalls, I'm going to be chasing you again, and loving every minute of it!