My Water Bottle Isn't Fancy
My water bottle made me feel like somebody, until I realized it wasn't me.
I bought one of those water bottles that was more like a huge cup with a straw. It was a pretty shade of baby blue, held 32 ounces of water, and had a big handle. Sweet, I thought as I smiled. Everyone seemed to have one and now I do too!
By “everyone” I mean those I watched on Instagram and TikTok. I didn’t actually know them of course, but I weirdly felt like I did.
My water bottle made me feel like I fit in. It connected me to something much bigger than my immediate community.
But then I realized something. My new, trendy, status symbol of a water bottle wasn’t all that.
As I carried it around, I found it to be pretty annoying. It was so big it didn’t fit in the cup holder in my car. I couldn’t throw it in my tote bag because it had a straw that popped out of the top and no closure so it easily spilled. And there was no way I could drink all that water before it started to taste funky.
I ended up tossing the bottle in the trash along with the money I’d spent on it.
I fell for the trap, I thought. I started to let the things I owned speak for me.
Growing up I didn’t carry a water bottle everywhere I went. I’d use a cup or a normal-sized water bottle to drink from when I was thirsty. I threw it out when I was done or put it in my backpack to bring home if it wasn’t the disposable kind.
A water bottle wasn’t something I carried around to tell everyone something about me.
If you’re curious, I’m back to my old way of living now. I don’t carry a fancy water bottle everywhere I go. If I’m thirsty I grab a cup of water or reach for a small, basic water bottle that fits inside my bag and doesn’t spill.
Up Next: A quiet, yet quirky reflection on perspective, body image, and feeling comfortable in your own skin.
Anna
