Express Yourself

Express Yourself
“Express Yourself,” on the back of the mini-water bottles, from Ozarka.

Express Yourself

I’ve made a spin through Eureka Springs, AR, albeit, not recently, and that was the home, and source, of Ozarka-branded water. These days, I think it’s just tap water from some place else, but I’m not sure — and at this point, I’m unwilling to do the research.

Plastic water bottles are particularly offensive as landfill. Behind disposable plastic grocery bags, the plastic water bottles are perhaps some of the most detestable detritus of modern, mostly American, civilization. From a balanced, ecological point, these water bottles are heinous. I’m not sure that the alternative, a canteen of some sort, is more acceptable. However, in a certain refrigerator, mine, in a certain trailer park in South Austin, I used to recycle the water bottles, as in, a single case of water would last me a year or more. Back then? Austin tap water was delicious.

I’ve noted it before, but flying into Austin, the teal, limestone-filtered groundwater pond, lakes, and eddies on the Colorado River were clearly visible, and obviously pointed to the special, ultra-soft water — Hill Country pure.

San Antonio? Not so much.

The water in San Antonio is hard, calcified, clogs pipes in a short order. Tastes bad, or, not as good as Austin’s tap water. At one point, there was place selling Austin Tap Water. Noted elsewhere, previously.

As far as vices go, though, despite the huge chunk of non-reusable resources employed, despite the landfill-creation and toxic waste from plastic manufacture, distribution, then disposal, as far as vices go, bottled water is a notch or two below coffee or tea, and certainly well-shy of hard drugs, loose women, and cheap liquor.

Vice? Yes. Bad one? Sort of. Still, as vices go, bottled water isn’t that awful.

Back around to the image of the Ozarka bottle. On the side? In a font designed to look like handwriting?

“Express Yourself!”

I’m completely unsure of what that’s for, but the space provided would be perfect to write a short note. Maybe a few words, perhaps just a “Thanks!” Leaving it blank, the little, 8-oz. bottles are kind of gimmicky. Still, as vices go, a cute gimmick, and that obviously works on me.

Folks who sit in my living room for a reading, I offer them water. The few who accept are treated to one of those little bottles of water.

“Express Yourself!”

It’s part of an increasing problem in our DIY culture, “Fill in the blanks,” with a subtext of “yourself.”

Is it about artistic expression? Or is just a slightly more clever marketing trick where we do the hard work ourselves?

“Express Yourself!”

I wonder why they have to have a “contents” label, it’s just water, right?

“Express Yourself!”