sleeping through a storm
There’s a story we sometimes tell on Outward Bound courses about sleeping through a storm. It’s a story about a farmer and how this farmer is able to sleep through a storm because she does everything right the first time, she prepares for the oncoming storm by being ready. And it is a good story for teenagers — to help them to think about planning ahead and not being reactive.
But, in the wake of Sandy’s destruction on the East Coast and this new place I call home, I could not help but think of this story. And how false it was.
Because it didn’t really matter how much prep you did. It didn’t matter if you evacuated or not. Because the storm still came and if your house was in her path, it did not matter.
And at this point, I am sure you have read all about the destruction and seen pictures (and if you haven’t, you probably aren’t reading this since your access to the interweb must be fairly limited). And it would also be silly for me to reflect on it because I was not impacted. At all.
Funny how I could be so close and yet – so far – from the impacted sites. Coney Island, a mere mile away (maybe?), has been horribly impacted. But here? Sure, there were trees down in the park.
one of the over 7,000 trees that the city lost
But the night of the hurricane? I hung out on the porch of a neighbor and had wine and whiskey and beer (well, not all of that, but it was available). And later that night, my lights flickered. But I never lost power, never even lost connection to the world wide web.
And so, like I have done so many times in this past year, I reflected on just how lucky I am. Just how blessed I am.
Because there were trees that came down in my neighborhood. And there as a couple who was out walking and a tree fell on them and killed them. And there are people who lost their homes. And people who are still without power.
And I don’t mean that to sound as obnoxious as it might. Because now I realize, it is not just about being prepared for the storm. Instead, it is about being ready to accept what comes your way, to be ready to do the hard work that your situation asks for.
And it is remembering, always, to feel blessed. and lucky.
