By now the images are familiar: satellite shots of monster hurricane Sandy bearing down 
on the northeastern U.S. seaboard & scenes of cars floating like ice cubes in dirty floodwaters. We all do what we can when the wind comes…move stuff out of the way if we have time, & stock up on random stuff we wouldn’t even glance at otherwise; anticipate our future thirst, though what we have to quench it never seems like enough; & try to hold our ground, if we have nowhere else to go.
The winds of earth are powerful, uncontrollable, & now, more unpredictable. The people of the Caribbean & Florida (including two siblings) are apparently accustomed to being buffeted by frightening hurricane winds, but not folks in New York (or in most parts of our country), not at this time of year, & not at this magnitude. Scientists are coming to understand that the northern hemisphere jet stream is changing in response to climate change, specifically the unanticipated rapid melting of Arctic ice. And this means yes, these unexpected & damaging weather patterns are probably the new normal, at least for a while until they shift again in concert with other climate change factors.
Daughter Z has a tattoo which says “le vent nous portera“…the wind will carry us. A few years ago I made a sculpture with these words; it’s out there in the garden as reminder of the winds of change, the ones we feel on our face & the ones we feel in our gut.
Having lived through a major earthquake here on the west coast, my heart goes out to everyone who will spend months & years & even decades cleaning up & rebuilding after this recent traumatic event. I’m afraid though that there’s more to come…much more.
But before I completely cast our primate fate to the wind, consider this: we seriously need to take a Tai Chi approach with this wind stuff. Beyond sailing & kites, we can work together with the wind, & we can make it work for us. There’s no question that wind is an abundant & ‘renewable’ energy resource; other nations & communities are catching the drift. Small local steps in this direction are hopeful, but we need to do…much more!
The wind can destroy us…&, the wind can also carry us.
the everyday primate 
thanks Linda for your thoughtful words. The magnitude of destruction back east is frightening and serves as a reminder of all the things we ultimately can’t control. And of the things we could have an impact on if we have the vision and courage to do so.
It was sad to see so much destruction. Yet my friends on the beach in Boston barely suffered any damage. Apparently the storm was pretty focused on a narrow path between North Carolina and New York. My Mom in Syracuse NY (just below Lake Ontario) said they had almost no rain.
I too, have loved ones that live in areas subject to Mother Nature’s fury. I have a daughter who lives in Orlando with her husband and three children, and a daughter who lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Thank goodness the hurricane skipped up the coast of Florida, but it was headed for New England. Once again it missed New England when it hit land in New Jersey and headed west.
I was born and raised a California boy. Like Linda I lived through the 1971 earthquake that hit the San Fernando Valley. I was a senior at San Fernando Valley State College. (CSUN now.) I vividly remember being tossed out of bed by the intense shaking. When I ran to the doorway of my bedroom I could see the water in our swimming pool hit the sliding glass doors at the back of our house like a tidal wave. The power of nature is incredible.
Last weekend I was working in my yard. I was cleaning out the grass growing in the cracks between the pavers in my driveway. I was amazed at how the grass has widened the space between some of the pavers. Those blades of grass have moved those pavers which have been set there by man. It just struck me that man is truly subject to the laws and forces of nature here on Earth.
As I see the pictures of the destruction on the east coast I thank my Heavenly Father that I live in San Diego County. Here in Chula Vista where we have lived for 24 years we have been blessed to have lived free from any disasters. We are blessed with mild weather the year round. Every evening I stroll in our backyard and feel the peace and quiet that we are blessed to enjoy in our neighborhood. I pray for those who have lost loved ones and their homes and property as a result of Hurricane Sandy. I am happy to say that our church is there in force with people to help and donations of food and supplies in every community effected by the storm. Thousands of Mormon missionaries are there to help with relief efforts, and truckloads of food and supplies have been delivered from our church headquarters in Salt Lake City and storage facilities that we have throughout the United States. May Heavenly Father bless and keep those who have suffered any loss of family or property.