Saturday, August 27, 2011

Waiting For the End of the World

All this drama really tires one out. There is no gettting away from the onslaught if you use any media. And the End of the World hopefuls are revelling in it being "A Sign!". Hello? It's a friggin hurricane. And it's Irene, because it's the NINTH hurricane so far this season. This isn't a sign of anything, it's a regular weather occurrence for cryin out loud.

Whatever happened to making the best of these things and having fun? Whatever happened to looking on adversity, maybe scary stuff, as the opportunity to party? I don't know about other people, but that's how I was raised to respond. It's like the joy has been sucked out of life and replaced with a quivering mass of fear. Who the hell wants to go thru life that way? Not I.

And let's look at the reality here. Irene's already hit land in North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane. Aside from wiping out a wooden pier and causing some flooding it's okay. If weathermen are standing in the middle of it on the beach, it can't be that bad. By the time it gets north it'll be a Tropical Storm, they're saying. There'll be a bunch of rain. For about a full day, along the coast. Well, were we all born last week and never seen a few days of rain before? My sis-in-law and I were talking about walking to school as little girls where you hung onto the fences along the way so you weren't blown off your feet (those skirts caught the wind like a sail). Guess what? We didn't die, and nobody talked about Jesus coming. Nowadays, kids would be swaddled in bubble wrap and put in a "safe room". What a Nervous Ned world we have now. Feh. 

6 comments:

CarrieBoo said...

So, last night I actually had a dream about the upcoming hurricane. How crazy is that, up here in Ontario. ;) I dreamt that all these people were sat on a rocky shore looking out to sea, with a lovely blue sky, warm sun, waiting to discover the final verdict on the hurricane... and then an announcement declared it was all good and everybody cheered. Wow.

Things have gotten so out of control. Roz would grow up to be a nervous wreck and never learn how to look after herself if I let all the hysteria get to me.

Austan said...

Actually, that's what the coast of Maine is to me, a rocky shore with a big blue sky... what a lovely dream!

That's exactly what I'm concerned about- that kids are so insulated from danger and hazards that they'll grow up to be copeless wusses with no common sense. I'm glad you're on to that. Can you imagine, we ran amok without helmets and kneepads and are by some miracle still alive?

CarrieBoo said...

Now I see where you are! I didn't realize Vermont was next to Maine.

I broke my arm, knocked my two front teeth out and nearly drowned... somehow I'm still kicking, despite natural selection. ;) Those were the better parts of my childhood. It's the stuff you don't see that people need to worry about. "wusses" LOL! I dread to think!

Austan said...

Unfortunately, New Hampshire lies between Vermont and Maine. We call the denizens, in order, New Hampshits, Vermonsters and Mainiacs.

Honestly! I got in fistfights, car accidents, broke my nose, my toes, my knuckle, my ribs, broke a tooth, scratched a cornea, all before 18. And somehow without full body armour, lived. And went on to break a bunch more things- right up to this past February- and still survive. How is that possible without padding and coddling?

annieoatcake said...

Fell off a tree and broke my two wrists. 3 months later, climbed the tree again to prove I wasn't 'chicken'. Freaked out and froze and couldn't move. Had to get my dad to come get me with ladders. Still refused to move demanding the fire brigade. Was told if I didn't move my arse he'd tan it all the way home... I eventually moved my arse :-)

paulg said...

I'm a little late to this party (I've finally reconciled with google and should be able to post this comment - woot, woot!), but you're singing my song.
Too much fear, too little sense of adventure.
Now that the storm has passed it feels like there was less adventure (and hardly any wind) and less rain (5" instead of the 10" forecast - thank goodness), but a maximum of damage.
I was out driving around yesterday as the rain was slowing down. Broad Brook in Guilford was so high (and brown and nasty looking) that at one point near the turn onto Weatherhead Hollow Road on that sharp curve on the Guilford Center Road I looked to my left and the brook appeared to be level with me and the road.
Quite frightening.
South Newfane is supposed to be a total mess.