The brown standard highway recreational sign featuring the words, 'Healing Springs' turned my head and inspired me to turn the car around to visit. I imagined a body of water to swim / submerge in with the allure of a mystical tonic that would refresh, invigorate, and possibly inspire my soul.

When I arrived the first thing I noticed was that parking was limited and small, a few cars lined the cul de sac, and there were a couple produce vendors (food to purchase 😉) and steady streams of people with jugs of all shapes, sizes and colors. Admittedly I didn't notice all the water seekers initially - it was once I got past the roadside stands in search of the bountious glorious 'Healing Spring' that I spotted these dripping, moss-algae covered old metal faucets from which each jug toter, child to aged adult, rushed to fill their vessels as if this precious water was the vital ingredient to counter nuclear fallout.

A few steps beyond these spigots a tiny stream of water wove its way through a wooded area where a wooden cross adorned with artificial flowers and complete with Bible verse noted similar to a death marker was affixed to one of the trees. Additionally, a giant miniature billboard sign featured the history of the place where it explained that even soldiers were led by indigenous people to these healing waters to restore their health.

Upon finishing reading this sign, I glanced from the sign back to the old faucets taking in the woods before me and back again to the water seekers who appeared more like busy ants going about their business to secure the precious water. My impression of the water fetching was more greed driven rather than reverent, solenn regard. Their actions seemed more akin to the mad rush I've seen prior to the swift approach of a category 5+ magnitude hurricane where grocery store shelves are emptied of their stock of water stores prior to the impending disaster. Definitely not what I expected to see and somewhat appalling.

Further my mind marveled about the safety of this water, The truthfulness of the claim given that we are now centuries past that era mentioned on the informational signage and God knows what pollution contaminants could be flowing through that water (think = run off from pesticides used on the massive nearby farms possibly?). Not to mention the pipes themselves. Were they lead pipes or of some other material that may rust and imbue this much sought after drinking water with harmful health impacting microscopic particles?

Truth, curiosity got the better of me and I just had to see for myself after all I was here; had made the trek to see it, might as well partake. Taking a handful of the dripping water, I first smelled it and then tasted it. It tasted sort of sweet, cool, and pretty much refreshing (basically okay) yet I wasn't going to tempt fate and continue to drink it because I had my suspicions about it. Just figured a small handful or two wouldn't exactly make me ill. Let's hope not LOL.