Recently I started to workout. Most of the people I know laugh when I say that. Not only do I know next to nothing about sports, I am chronically bad at anything exercise related. I am one of those people who run like I am a girl and throw like a baby. A baby girl.

 

You should see my daughter run. Poor child; she inherited my DNA. Regardless, I am trying to exercise and I am not failing miserably just yet. I keep telling myself just one more minute, and after that one more minute. After awhile I have completed my thirty minutes while gulping down water. Then, I consider doing it again the next day (although usually don’t). And I know the days when I workout can add up like 1+1+1+1+1 . . . until I will have exercised all throughout this autumn, resulting in health and hydration.

 

I say hydration because I get thirsty.  With feet flailing around as I bounce up and down on the elliptical, or while my heart is pounding faster than my toes can twinkle on the pavement- wouldn’t you get parched, as I do? I feel famished. For water. Which I means I am thirsty. Do you feel hungry when you are thirsty, too?  I remedy this by walking over to my refrigerator, overflowing my glass with ice-cold water as I am distracted, making a puddlely mess on the floor for my toddling son to slip on.  Or if I am not home, I can stick a crisp George Washington in a machine, which then pops out a fresh bottle of water. I pull of the top, twist, snap, and drink deeply from the bliss of agua deliciosa while I consider the fact I used the idiom George Washington to refer to a dollar bill for the first time in my life.

 

It’s somewhat sad then, that a good part of the world experiences thirst and/or only has unclean water. That “part of the world” suffers from sicknesses and diseases found in the nasty water they have, which countless deaths are caused daily by. Some kids can’t go to school because they have to walk to the water source to fetch water. In fact, typically burdened with the responsibility, women’s whole lives are controlled by the time, distance, and weight of water. Think sitting in traffic to get milk for your upset toddler is bad?

 

War and conflicts are also aggravated by the need for clean water. Oh, and here is another largely quoted fact anyone who is anyone in the global water biz will let you know:

“Contaminated water and poor sanitation are factors in 80 percent of all disease in the developing world.“

It’s crazy to realize how influential clean water is. It’s one of those things we just don’t get what its like to be without until we’ve experienced it.

 

There are two specific ways you can help, right now. One is clicking on this post, Delicious Water: Charities about organizations whom you can donate to for clean water. I hope you know that it costs only $1 to give one year’s worth of water to an individual in a developing country (which is the “that part of the world” I mentioned earlier). And, if you partner with other people who give one miserly little dollar, it becomes 1+1+1+1+1+ . . .  Numbers do something. They add up. Last year, raised only by my friends, we came to just shy of $600 for my birthday.  That gave water to 29 people for 20 years. I have no doubt they will appreciate it. As will those whom you give water to.

 

The second thing you can do is to sign a petition like this one, for the MDG water goals (read about what that is, and what is going on with it in WaterAid’s recent report) I know, petitions seem stupid. But honestly, they are not. Okay, maybe sometimes they are stupid. But, they aren’t asking you to sell your identity by signing them. And numbers do something. They add up: 1+1+1+1+1+1 . . . can quickly become five million voices which someone will pay attention too. I am serious.

 

You know the “Darfur Crisis” which everyone has at least hear of in the U.S.? Yep, that was a complete grassroots movement. It was weird people like me forcing normal people like you to sign petitions until some people heard about it in the media who made the government focus in on it. Not enough has been done about it, but still, at least people know about Darfur. And it is a lot easier for the average joe to buy water for someone than it is for them to stop a genocide.

 

Have I made my point? Sign the water petition already! Otherwise I might start talking about how I get thirsty when I exercise again, and we all know it goes downhill from there.

 

Lastly, but importantly, spread this. Watch the cool clip on the following link, reminding us why water is so important for us to talk about. if you are a blogger, join in on the Blog Action Day. Or if you don’t blog, Facebook about water. Or tweet about it. Or tell a friend at dinner that they can give you a George Washington right there on the spot which you will donate with your paypal account. Then, after that you can come and exercise with me!