As I’m writing this, there’s a ‘tropical depression’ heading our way. HIS name is Kirk. I like that they give them names, make them more personable. Make it so something potentially devastating makes a little more sense.
When you give something a name, it makes it feel like a pet. What if we did that with every bad thing? Think about it: ‘sorry, you have a rotten tooth we will need to pull it out’, or , ‘It seems that Ron is really rotten, he’s got to go.’ (apologies to any Rons out there… nothing personal.)
And they don’t name floods, or earthquakes or fires? These are all natural disasters… what’s the difference? Is it because wind patterns have more personality? Maybe it’s because there’s usually more than one at the party. You don’t need to differentiate between other natural disasters, each one comes onto the world stage in their own good time. Could that be it? During hurricane season it’s a true mixer. Especially when the weather anchor is detailing the event: Kirk is front and centre coming up from the South, with Rosa continuing to intensify. Meanwhile Ike has meandered to the South and has been termed a storm. Can’t you just picture them all? Kirk the bawdy beer drinker, Rosa casually sipping her wine and of course Ike… passed out at the bar. It sounds a lot less worrying than the reality.
But I’m really grateful that Kirk isn’t looking as strong as he began, when he started brewing in the Atlantic. Now, Kirk is termed a ‘tropical depression’ (maybe one too many beers at the hurricane mixer in the Atlantic). And I’m on the edge of it. Literally… and maybe, slightly, figuratively. I’m trying to choose my words carefully, because I don’t want people reading this to roll their eyes at their screens, and think ‘what does SHE have to be depressed about?’. And THEY are right. Those eye-rollers. I would react the same way. Like we all do when scrolling through social media. We are so judgmental of one another. But none of us really know what’s going on.
Back to the ‘tropical depression’. It’s a feeling. The heat here, over the summer, has been heavy… oppressive. My husband and I spend months apart sometimes, unable to work together. I don’t brood generally. But when the hurricanes wend their way towards us, I start thinking about all of the choices or chances that have led us here. And how just one errant wind could literally knock it all asunder. And if you’ve never been in an actual hurricane, you don’t know what it feels like. You may imagine because of the cute monikers and Hollywood turning everything into an adventure that may or may not involve ruby-coloured slippers, that it’s not something to worry about. But it is. I know. So, yes…. as the tropical depression approaches… I feel it.
I think we all do. Maybe not consistently as a result of an actual natural disaster looming. But, generally, there are events that dampen us. That’s life. Ups and downs.
So, when I’m feeling the front of the storm move in… I let it settle a bit. Allow it to wash over me. Question WHY it’s making me feel low. Sometimes, it can be therapeutic. Sometimes I have answers to my questions. But either way, it passes. And I’m left… a teensy bit stronger for it? And when the next one comes, I think… ‘okay Kirk, just put down your beer and go get some rest… save us all a whole lotta trouble… I’m honestly getting to old for this!”.
A Hopkins Life 