The Yawn

By Raoul Pascual

Raoul’s Two Cents: February 9, 2024

Water Memories

It is quite unusual to have a typhoon here in Los Angeles. Starting over the weekend the rain poured non-stop for days. Hundreds of residents lost power. I know a good number of residents whose roofs started to leak. But this typhoon was nothing compared to the ones in South East Asia. Strangely, it brought back lots of memories.

Some say that rain did not exist until the flood during the time of Noah. Vegetation was fed from underground water systems. It rained 40 days and 40 nights and later, God made a covenant with Noah that never again would He destroy the earth with a flood and He showed Noah the first rainbow which would be a reminder of that promise. Pretty cool, huh?

Water — what a great invention. Life wouldn’t exist without it. I remember the first time I was conscious of the effects of rain was right after a storm in the Philippines. We had an outside fish pond filled with goldfish. When it overflowed with rain water, the goldfish escaped into the street canals. The neighboring kids were excited to find colorful goldfish in the sewers. The streets were cleaned of debris. The tree trunks were drenched and dark. The birds were busy feeding on the earthworms that emerged from the soaked soil. My older brother and I raced our paper boats in the canal rapids. Everything was clean. Zero pollution.

Today, decades later, these memories fade in the backdrop of human garbage. I may not agree with many of their approach, but I can certainly relate to the longings of the environmentalists. We really messed things up, didn’t we? I see a direct correlation between pollution and an undisciplined society because in Japan, in Northern Europe, I believe water is still sparkling clean.

Other Water Memories
I remember my Tita (Aunt) Dolly enrolled my brother and I to swimming lessons. She bought us our first swimming trunks that were 2 sizes too big. Every time we dove into the water, one hand stretched out to greet the water while the other held on to our “family jewels.” I remember the freestyle race on graduation day when my trunks found their way to my knees and delayed my journey to the finish line. I must have been the crowd favorite. I’m glad there were no selfies then.

In my teen years our Dad brought us kids to raging water channeling out from the mountains after a storm. It was downright dangerous but I guess life was cheap at that time. I had 6 siblings so I guess my Dad could afford to lose one of us. We giggled as we held on to the rocks for dear life — enjoying the natural water massage. Suddenly, my sister slipped and she grabbed my sleeveless shirt and yanked it like a bungee cord. My ruined shirt saved her life. Strangely, everybody laughed. Indeed, life was cheap.

Around the same time my grandfather built a swimming pool in his farm. Swimming pools were unheard of then. There was no such thing as pool maintenance. No filter systems, no circulation, no PH and alkaline tests … grandpa just built a rectangular cemented hole on the ground that was 10 feet deep. My brother and I spent summers there. And we swam with the frogs and the larvae. Our skins wrinkled and tanned. Oh, we had so much fun. The last I heard, they were raising tilapia in that pool.

One last memorable encounter with water was in a modern swimming pool. Church friends were gathered around me as our pastor submerged me in full baptism. I remember them singing: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, than be happy in Jesus … but to trust and obey.”

Yep! The memories of water are like the memories of a rainbow — full of joy and anticipation of a new life.

Come share your water memories. What are you waiting for? I hope they’re good.

TGIF people! Enjoy the Chinese New Year this Saturday, the Superbowl this Sunday and Valentines Day this Wednesday.

Raoul

“When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”
— Genesis 9: 14-15