Rub a Dub Dub! : Reflections on Bath

If you know anything about me, you know that I am an extremely emotional human being. So as I walked through the ancient ruins of Roman Bath, I was struck with so many thoughts and feelings. The primary thought that continued to circle my brain as I made my way through the museum was this: I am not the first queer person to walk through these ruins or be in this exact space. I felt a strong sense of reverence for all of the people who came before me. Not tourists that have visited the site, but the ancient people who’s daily life included a trip to the Bath Spa. As I thought about these people, whose lives I was now only seeing remnants of, I couldn’t help but think about how many of them were queer. We know that queer people existed during this time, because queer people have always existed and will always exist. Maybe it is my extremely hyperactive imagination, but I found it extremely easy to walk through these ruins and picture what life would have been like in the ancient Roman Baths. I also can imagine that being queer in that time period, whether they had the words for it back then or not, was an extremely challenging and hard thing to navigate. Queer people have come so far in their fight for equality, but I think the reminder that there are centuries and centuries of life that have come before me was both inspiring and terrifying.

  I’ve always felt connected to ancient civilizations, and being able to physically be in the place where ancient people lived reminded me just how little time we have on this earth, but how amazing it is that we have the technology to remember people forever. I’ve always been a big proponent of knowing all that has come before you to make the best art that you can and create a better future for those that come after you. I think that is just what Bath did. It reminded me just how amazing it is that the universe chose to put me on this planet, at this place, in this moment in time. I don’t think I expected to love Bath as much as I did. Everyone always says that this trip will change your life, and the art that you create. I do believe that I am starting to feel myself change, and I can’t wait to see what stories I tell.

– R