“It’s not a terrible thing that we feel fear when faced with the unknown. It is part of being alive, something we all share.”
~ Pema Chodron
Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning. Today, we are under a Tropical Storm watch; however, with all things considered, TS Chantel should pass 100+ miles to our south. “All things considered”. The fortunate part of this storm is that it is moving very quickly, so there is little chance for her to make what we call “a wobble”. And the rules of storm warfare that I was given say that if a storm crosses the Caribbean island chain south of Guadeloupe (the island that looks like a butterfly), we are “safe”. Which it will …
Experiencing the uncertainty surrounding tropical storms serves as a great training ground for life in general …
Robert Keegan writes: “That ‘change makes us uncomfortable’ is now one of the most widely promoted, widely accepted, and under-considered half-truths around…. It is not change by itself that makes us uncomfortable; it is not even change that involves taking on something very difficult. Rather, it is change that leaves us feeling defenseless before the dangers we ‘know’ to be present that causes us anxiety.”
I’ve been through this feeling of semi-defenseless “knowing” and anxiety in the presence of mother nature many, many times. And the feeling is always the same. It’s the worst, two days before the storm’s arrival. We sit in doubt as to what to do. Do you move the boats? Do you shutter the house? Should I start moving plants and patio furniture inside. And when you have villa guests, you tend to push off the decision making, so as not to upset vacations by needless worry.
We are like a boxer, waiting. Then finally, the “Knowing” shows itself, and makes it’s move. We’ll either be taking a punch full-on, or a grazing blow, or it’ll be a near miss. But now finally, the waiting is over. We can prepare, act and react to an immediate threat.
Brings me to one of my most favorite of quotes by Helen Keller …
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces towards change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.”
To my local friends, be safe! They are saying this season looks like it is going to be a rough one … But we’ve been down this road before. We’ll persevere !!
