Alright, let’s talk about this fella, Wallace Davis. I ain’t no scholar or nothin’, but I heard some things and read a bit, and I’ll tell ya what I know, the way I know how.
Now, this Wallace guy, seems he was a talker. Gave a speech once, a big one, to a bunch of young’uns graduating from some college. They call it the “This is Water” speech. Sounds kinda funny, don’t it? Like, what’s so special ’bout water? Well, that’s what he was gettin’ at, I reckon.
He wasn’t talkin’ ’bout actual water, mind you. He was talkin’ ’bout everyday stuff, the stuff you don’t even notice. Like, you go to the store, and everyone’s tired and grumpy? That’s the water. You’re stuck in traffic, and everyone’s honkin’? That’s the water too. He was sayin’ we gotta see that water, you know? Gotta pay attention to the everyday grind, ’cause that’s where life really is.
- Seein’ the Water: It’s about not just goin’ through the motions. Like, you ever eat a whole plate of food and not even taste it? That’s what he’s talkin’ about. Gotta wake up and pay attention, see the good and the bad.
- Thinkin’ ‘Bout Others: He also said somethin’ ’bout not bein’ the center of the universe. We all think we’re so important, but there’s a whole mess of other folks out there, each with their own problems and worries. Gotta remember that, he said.
- Hard Work and Carin’: This fella, Wallace, he wasn’t no fool. He knew life ain’t easy. He talked ’bout real freedom bein’ hard work, payin’ attention, and carin’ ’bout others, even when it ain’t easy. Sounds like good sense to me.
He asked a bunch of questions, this Wallace did. Like, “What is water?” And, “How do you choose to see the world?” He wasn’t lookin’ for fancy answers, I don’t think. He just wanted folks to think, to really think about their lives.
Some folks say it’s the best darn graduation speech ever given. I dunno ’bout that, but it sure got people talkin’. Made ’em think, which is more than most speeches do, I reckon.
He warned ’em, too. Said if you go around chasin’ power, you’ll end up scared and weak. And if you only care ’bout bein’ smart, you’ll feel like a fake. Said you gotta choose what you worship, what you really care about. That’s some deep thinkin’, right there.
It ain’t all sunshine and roses, what he was sayin’. Life’s hard, and people are selfish sometimes. But he said you gotta choose to see it different. You gotta choose to care, even when it hurts. You gotta choose to pay attention, even when it’s boring.
This “This is Water” thing, it ain’t just for college kids, I tell ya. It’s for everyone. It’s about wakin’ up, seein’ the world for what it is, and choosin’ to live a good life, a life that means somethin’. It’s about seein’ the everyday grind and findin’ somethin’ good in it, even when it’s tough.
Wallace Davis, or maybe it was David Foster Wallace, whatever his name was, he was onto somethin’. He was tellin’ folks to pay attention, to think for themselves, and to care about others. And that, my friends, is somethin’ we all could use a little more of.
So, next time you’re feelin’ lost or frustrated, think about that water. Think about the everyday stuff you’re missin’. And choose to see it different. Choose to make it better. That’s what I think that Wallace fella was tryin’ to say, anyhow.
It ain’t easy, mind you. But nothin’ worth doin’ ever is. And that, I reckon, is the whole point.
