A Sense of By: Dave Scott I have climbed the Eiffel tower in Paris, France, and looked out at that wonderful city. I have stood watching Niagara Falls with all its power and beauty, rafted the mighty Ottawa River, and stood below Big Ben in England, but to be honest, looking out on the pier in Port Dover still beats them all! Why is that? What draws us there? I pondered these questions recently, thinking it is a Doverite thing, in our gene pool! I asked a friend, who moved to Dover a number of years ago, what he thought drew him to the pier? He explained to me that the pier is magical because it allows folks to be on the water and feel safe at the same time. It provides an experience the majority of folks don’t get every day. I think he has something there. Each year, thousands of folks from out of town are drawn to take a walk out to the end of the pier and look out at the open lake before them. I decided to investigate a little more and here is some of the scientific reasoning on why we are drawn to bodies of water in this article by Carolyn Gregoire (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ mental-benefits-water_n_5791024) Our affinity for water is even reflected in the near-universal attraction to the color blue. We're naturally drawn to aquatic hues and people associate this color with qualities like calm, openness, depth and wisdom. "We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what's broken," Nichols writes in Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier,
Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do, published in July. "We have a 'blue mind' -- and it's perfectly tailored to make us happy in all sorts of ways that go way beyond relaxing in the surf, listening to the murmur of a stream, or floating quietly in a pool." While in the restful, contemplative state associated with observing or interacting with water, it's also common to experience feelings of awe, Nichols' research has found. The emotion of awe invokes feelings of a connection to something beyond oneself, a sense of the vastness of nature and an attempt to make sense of the experience. "That switches you from a 'me' orientation to a 'we' orientation," says Nichols, citing research findings that feelings of awe can increase our capacity for connection and empathy. "When you experience that feeling of awe, you get that 'one with the universe' feeling," says Nichols. "You feel connected to yourself, the world around you, and whoever you happen to be with. That puts you in a 'we' state of mind." I remember a few times in my life feeling the vastness of the water and just how small I felt in it. Once when swimming from Pottahawk to Turkey Point, I remember stopping and looking around and seeing absolutely nothing but water. There was just a sense of calm that came over me and that simple feeling of how we are all just such a small piece of nature. The other times were with my dad out on his fishing tug as a kid - understanding the connection to the water within the family heritage. For my father, it was his calming spot in his alcoholfuelled life. Life made sense to him out there. I understand that now.
Generations by the Water by Erin Scott
Being in and around water can be calming on so many levels to us. From a sensory standpoint, there is the lull or the crash of the waves, a sound that can be soothing, along with the many colours that play within the waters. One of my favourite things about the water is how some days it is soft and clear and you can see all the way to the bottom. There is the glory of a sunset as the warm hues play across the water on a warm summer evening. Let us not forget the moon and the way in which it seems to shimmer and sparkle along the lake. There is also a feeling of oneness with the universe as a whole that we may feel when we gaze out into bodies of water. There is a reminder there that water, as beautiful as it is, also holds power.
Kal Commodore
