Water Illusions

It is the heat of summer here in the desert: when the wind blows, it is a hot wind that slaps you in the face; when the sun sets, the night is hot darkness; when it rains, it is humid but not cool. Being a transplanted Northerner, I have noticed how water is used artfully in public spaces to create the illusion of coolness. You see, the sun is merciless and heat constant, so the only way to survive is to move quickly from one air-conditioned space to another, or be tricked into thinking you are cooler than you are. One cannot help but be outside sometimes, so fountains are placed strategically to give sweaty pedestrians hope that relief from heat can be found. These fountains are a welcome sight, but also terribly cruel. The water splashes and pools, inevitably into a shallow space where you may be able to reach out and touch it, but no swimming! The sound beckons you, spinning an illusion that here at last is coolness, but seeing the water reminds you that you cannot possess it and are destined to leave it as hot as before. The water, upon closer inspection, is most likely quite warm and not very clean. So, you shun the fountain and seek out a swimming pool. Alas, the swimming pool has been soaking up direct sunlight all day, and is warm as bathwater. Some relief is obtained by getting out of the pool and having the water evaporate off of you, and walking around thereafter in a wet swimsuit with water dripping out of your hair. Nothing more can be done, except to stick your head in the freezer while grabbing ice-cream. I wonder when it will be that the pool is actually 70 degrees, and I can sit contentedly by the fountain without it taunting and teasing. November? I’ll let you know…