Water is life
Nydia has been a long time friend, I had first noticed her from her youtube videos and her shining personality that shown through the computer screen. She felt like an instant friend and later we met up in Joshua Tree, California for a visit. When I found out Nydia was going to be living in Byron Bay at the same time I was, I was thrilled and jumped with glee. When coming up for the idea of this project I knew she would be the perfect participant because of her deep connection for surf and our oceans. When I sat down with Nydia for an interview, all of our conversations stemmed around her connection for the ocean. "Liberated, free, euphoric" were the words to describe her emotions when she was surrounded by water. Nydia had wrote a song about the river she grew up by when living in Mexico. The message behind her song is a perfect example that sheds light to the environmental damage that is going on in our backyard but also is shown with a sense of hope.
"Down below where the sun meets the river, Mesmerized was she, Crystal clear waters, What innocent chatter, River days come easy, River days come easy, Lingering time as the poison meets the water, Frowning sighs upon us, We must not fear ,This will pass my dear."
These lyrics led us more into a conversation where Nydia referred to "Water is Life." "The Universe is my divinity," Nydia explains. "If it wasn’t for nature, we wouldn’t be here so its the mother of all living breathing beings. It fuels our bodies, our bodies are made up of what over 80 percent of water. So in order for us, the plants, the animals, the land to survive, we need water. thats a fact not even a question. It's sad that we have to explain this to humans, have humans become to detached from this issue? It all comes down to being in touch with nature."
Nydia feels most in touch with nature when she is out surfing, when asking her to explain why she feels so connected to surfing, she literally lit up and told me how her personal passion helps her to stay connected to herself: "For me it feels like the ocean knows if you're feeling very ego centered. If you go out with a peaceful mind and going with the flow, you have the best time. Even if you had a rough day, you are going to get slapped in the face and then it releases my negative energy because i’m getting slapped around. Then I remember to calm my mind. Overtime, I've learned patience."
Nydia's final thoughts on how to preserve the nature she feels so connected to:
"Be kind to every human, every creature, every plant, thats our way of giving back and having a symbiotic relationship with the universe."
