This time, as I ramble on: I discuss a few to several basic weather phenomena and what they mean to me. Stuff like Wind and Rain and Snow and Lightning and...something, I had a fifth, I can't remember it right now, it'll come to me later. Super Page Breaker Fun Time GO!
Section 1.3: Weatherly Meaningfulness
So over the years I've come to notice a few things about how I respond to weather that I either see or experience and have come to associate certain ideas and/or experiences with them. Let's take a look, shall we?
Wind
Wind is, to me at least, one of the most intriguing aspects of the weather. It can be an immensely destructive force or a gentle, comforting breeze. It can warm you up or cool you down increasing your enjoyment of the day, or it can do the complete opposite bringing scorching heat or biting cold to you and ruining anything you may have been doing. And the best part? We can't actually see it at all. We can only see what it does, the effects of the wind. We know it exists, we've seen destructive paths that it tears through towns and nations, no one on the face of the earth has actually ever seen wind. It's a force of unimaginable ferocity and devastation when it wants to be, but in the same instant somewhere else on this vast earth of ours it's cooling someone off on a hot day. Such immense depth and breadth of power, constantly moving and changing, from a force that we can't actually see. That's got some meaning to it, if only to me. Added bonus: When the wind blows it makes the trees dance and play, with the shuffling of leaves in your ears and a vision of joy to witness. Unless it's hurricane force winds, then the trees just kinda tilt over. Fun times.
Rain
Rain often brings with it, where I live anyway, a sense of refreshment and rejuvenation. It can be dreary at times though, but less often for me than for a slew of other people I know. I'm one of those crazy people that actually likes the rain. Shocking, I know. Just stay with me here, I'll try and explain why.
First and foremost, I love the smells rain brings. Plural, there are two (or more) very distinct smells that you get depending on where you are. The one most people are familiar with is the "water on asphalt/concrete" which is, frankly, difficult to describe with words. Smells are very tricky to describe except by using examples, and nothing quite smells the same as anything else, so basically you need to have experienced said smell in order to know what I'm talking about. Ever noticed how when you're trying to describe a new smell you say "It smells like/kinda like...?" Yup, that's pretty much the only way to do it. Back on topic, the other smell is the smell of rain in a forest/woodlands/dirt. It's very clean and crisp, smells like everything else in the air is gone and it's just water and soil. There may be more smells but those ar the two I know fairly well.
Secondly, we've got the refreshment of self. If you're caught in a light rain on a hot summer's day there's no sense of panic or hurry to get inside. You just want to stand out there in the rain enjoying the coolness and refreshment that comes along with it. It's just so invigorating and energizing, I love it something fierce.
Thirdly, it brings a newness to the life that may have died or been dying due to unintentional neglect from a guy who's been "house sitting" all summer. Or just due to winter, whatever floats your boat. New life springs forth, greenery is everywhere, it's very picturesque and something that we shouldn't take for granted. Rain done, moving on.
Snow
Snow brings with it a blank canvas, a fresh slate to the world. Unfortunately, in our culture it gets muddied up very quickly afterwards but if you're up early enough in the morning or late enough at night and you catch a glimpse of the clean, pure snow that's blanketed the world, take a picture (if only mentally, that's what I do) and savor that moment of peace in this chaotic world we inhabit. White and pure, there is very little else in our current existence that comes in so quietly and leaves such blinding beauty in its wake. I've always been a seeker of beauty, and the first snow of the season has always been one of my favorite sights to behold. I'll go into depth about other things I've seen in my dreadfully small world-traveling that hold a similar place in my head/heart at a later date. Back to snow! Another aspect of the snow that I love is the muffled stillness that it brings. No movement, no sound that you're not creating, almost eerily quiet. But it's not eerie, it's just peaceful and pleasant.
Lightning
Nothing shows the raw power and intensity of the weather quite like Lightning. There and gone in an instant, faster than we can even comprehend, leaving behind a wake of sound so loud and forceful that it's been known to set off car alarms. It's so incredibly bright that it lights up the darkest night to the point of clear visibility, though only for that same instant that it's in the sky. There is nothing else quite like lightning, and as such it makes all the sense in the world that some of the supposedly most powerful gods of the nordic, greek and roman (and maybe many more) were the ones that controlled the lightning. Along with the lightning comes anticipation. Waiting, counting seconds, trying to see tell how far away it was by how long the thunder takes to reach you, all the while keeping your eyes on the sky to try and catch a good glimpse of raw electrical power traveling from the clouds to the ground. It scares the living daylights out of some people, and most animals that I know of hide from the thunder. Me? I love it. Such magnificent power, such elegant and daunting beauty. It is truly a sight to behold, and every time a thunderstorm hits I make sure to take in as much as I can. Granted, wind and rain tend to show up with the lightning, so I'm just loving the whole experience.
And with that I bid thee fare well!
Cheers,
~Cam
No comments:
Post a Comment