Submitted by Nancy to the Women Mind the Water digital stories project, in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street storytelling website and traveling exhibition "Water/Ways."
"I have come to the understanding that people who have been traumatized, people with PTSD, have heightened senses and that’s where the hyper-vigilance comes from, that’s where their exaggerated startle response comes from. So the senses are heightened and whether it’s good or bad. So I decided to, I guess, try to find gifts in the rubble? I love water anyways but one day I decided to, I don’t know, I just paid attention to every aspect of the shower. Since my senses are on overload: sight, sound, smell, tough, hearing, I missed one. I used all of those senses to engage in my shower.
I looked at the shower drops on my skin or on the tub and I would see the reflection of the light which is the most beautiful sight in the world to me. I would listen to the sound of the water coming down and feel the water on my skin, on my hands and how it gently massaged it. It doesn’t really have a smell but it’s pure, it’s fresh. I would taste it and in that way I had absolutely wonderful experience where, since my senses were heightened, I decided to see if I could find some kind of positive out of that. That’s when I discovered my love of showers along with water of any sort.
Water is very peaceful but it’s also very powerful. The most beautiful sight in the world to me is the reflection of the sun on water, how it ripples, how it’s constantly changing. I guess that’s my shower story."
Asset ID: 7912
