22 – Salt

See the links below the last video to see what other bloggers posted about salt

Click the video above for 2 minutes of background waves while reading.

I like walking on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

Time on the beach stimulates the senses – hearing the waves washing ashore and the wind whistling by ears – the sun kissing the skin with warmth to awaken tanning agents and freckles – feeling the water on the ankles and sand’s grit on the soles and between the toes – the wind moving through the air and refreshing the face – slowly inhaling and exhaling the fresh air to restore the soul – and smelling the unique scent of sea air. Yes – the beach experience is an elixir of sweet dreams courtesy of the sea’s spirit.

The salty air is due to the spritzing nature of sea spray – a spray with salt that clings to the skin – a salt that we can even taste. The salty spray makes windows impossible to keep clean while also collecting on all outer surfaces; such as cars, furniture, and buildings – a salty spray that eats away many materials in a corrosive manner.

Photo by Darwis Alwan on Pexels.com

Salt – the white grains we associate with table salt, yet we also link to terms as saline, brine, brackish, sea salt, and rock salt. Salt is crusty, no wonder “salty dog” refers to an experienced sailor – but I wonder how many beach communities have a bar or eatery carrying that name.

Salt is one of the sensations of taste our tongue can distinguish. We can detect when food is too salty or could use a bit more – but taste is also a matter of personal preference. We also notice salt’s presence in tears from a good cry.

Salt – the white crystalline substance that we easily taste in seawater. Surprising to some, the ocean is only 3.5 percent salt – a salt coming from dissolving rocks from far-away inland creeks, streams, and rivers that eventually deposit into the ocean. I doubt that many people think of the ocean as a dumping ground for our planet’s terrestrial salt.

To a chemist, there are many salts – and not all are white. Salt is a compound formed when the atoms of a metal and nonmetal chemically combine as a result of a chemical reaction involving an acid and a base. The salt formed depends on the identity of the participating acid and base. Oddly enough, this reaction also produces water.

I think about salt having a long history with humanity. Besides flavoring, salt is a preservative for cured meats and salty cod. Traded as a precious commodity by ancient civilizations, people fought wars over salt. Salt has been involved in various rituals, ceremonies, and folklore through the ages – including keeping away evil spirits. Whereas spilling salt is bad luck, tossing salt over one’s shoulder is for avoiding bad luck.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Today we commonly associate salts with foods as potato chips, pretzels, french fries, pizza, and countless prepared foods packaged in a box or a can. Many people judge a purchase based on the label’s salt (sodium) content.

Sodium, a component in table salt, is essential to living things. Sodium for maintaining water balance in our body – sodium for stabilizing blood pressure – sodium for proper functioning muscles and nerves – sodium as a necessary electrolyte – but we don’t need it in overwhelming quantities.

Salt – a mineral that dissolves in water, then left behind for harvest after water evaporates from shallow pools and ponds, a practice done since ancient times. Certain parts of the world are famous for a salt with distinguishing character. We can also mine from the ground. After all, “Back to the salt mines” is a phrase we associate with hard labor.

Salt is strong and pungent. No wonder we say “a little goes a long way”, “just a pinch”, or “taking it with a grain of salt.”

We associate salt with pain, so we “rub salt in a womb” to accentuate and aggravate the situation. But referring to someone as “salt of the earth” is a praise of character, honesty, reliability, and morality.

Photo by Dids on Pexels.com

Smelling salts, Epsom salt, bath salts, road salt, rock salt, and more are other aspects of salt – but not the same salt that is on our dinner table. The same is true for soaps with salt for enhancing cleansing. Yet, the majority of the salt produced is not for eating or cleaning, but for manufacturing processes.

I think about how both salt and sugar are common in our lives – two substances appearing to be similar, yet are so different in taste, use, and symbolism.

I think about how salt and sand are two components here at the beach – one dissolving in water and the other not – yet a mixture of water, sand, and salt can be separated – even if the salt is dissolved in the water.

Salt – an important mineral for our global community, yet a distinguishing characteristic for everyone near the sea. Salt is so important, I’m confident my thoughts are meager. Nonetheless, salt has been an interesting topic to ponder as I walk. After all, I like walking on the beach because it is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

See what other bloggers have posted about adaptations

• Salt and Gold (poem)
• Tour Great Salt Lake (photos and text)
• The salt of Pink Lake in Turkey (photos and text)
• City of Salt (poem)
• A personal view of salt

Next Post: Footprints – Thursday 17 December @ 1 AM (Eastern US)

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