Our rural electric cooperative has been using a helicopter to trim trees along their powerline right-of-way in the neighborhood. My husband and I watched with fascination the rotating blades lower with surgical precision and prune branches on huge oaks, tulip poplars, and pines that line our road. The rotor-generated wind smacked our faces as we shot these photos from our driveway during last week’s subfreezing weather.
It looks like this is happening just in the nick of time—weather forecasters have issued an ice storm warning for the weekend. Maybe the tree work will reduce the number of massive power outages we’ve been told to expect. I’m guessing, however, that we will still be without power for at least a while. We’ve brought in extra firewood, made sure our propane fireplace is working, and filled containers with water for drinking and flushing. Winter storms are more problematic here than at our former home in Nebraska, where water pipes are laid deeper and people are more used to such weather.
All of this preparation causes me to reflect on the broader topic of preparing for storms of different sorts—not just physical, but mental, emotional, and socio-political. I think back to 2020 and the COVID shutdown, when toilet paper disappeared from store shelves, people hunkered down at home, and arguments broke out over who to blame and what to do—unhealthy behavior on so many fronts. Today, entire shelves are empty in our local grocery store. Online arguments over who is to blame continue unabated.
It seems as if, for (at the very least) the last year or so, our existence has been in a more-or-less constant state of chaos. It’s exhausting and depressing. It appears we can expect more of the same for the foreseeable future. Maybe it’s time for a change of perspective. Instead of simply reacting, wringing hands, and lashing out in frustration, perhaps we could view the turmoil through the same lens that we use when preparing for a big weather event.
For me, that’s first doing everything I can to provide for my family’s physical safety. If we have the basic necessities on hand, we’ll have no need to drive during dangerous road conditions or battle others for the last roll of toilet paper at the market. That doesn’t mean hoarding, but over a period of time it’s not a bad idea to pick up a few extra non-perishable items to keep on hand. Instead of mimicking the “Just-in-Time” ordering system, a lean inventory strategy used by some corporations to minimize storage costs and increase efficiency, it makes more sense to me to minimize vulnerability to supply chain disruptions. That allows me to just stay out of the way during an emergency.
Secondly, I can focus my attention on actions I can take to help others, rather than stew about things over which I have no control. If a neighbor is cold or hungry, I can share what I have. I can reach out to help alleviate someone’s loneliness or fears. I can be a good listener. I can focus my energy on building up, not tearing down. A “how can I help fix it?” attitude is likely more productive than a “who can I blame?” outlook.
We humans differ in our views and approaches, but we also have more in common than we know. I think most of us want to live our lives safely and in peace. I believe that if we focus on our common goals first, it will help us learn to work together as we tackle more complicated issues. And we do need to address those issues. Maintaining a good attitude may not be everything, but it sure helps.
As I prepare for the ice storm, I remember that other tempests are ongoing. Eventually, all storms pass. How we get through them depends both on how well we’ve prepared and how we react under stress. I plan to give it my best shot.
Photo by Barry Benson
#waiting #StormPrep #perspective
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