Welcome Fall! and Some Thoughts on Helene
Fall is upon us and it has been gorgeous this year in beautiful little Blowing Rock, NC.
The change for us was sudden this year. It’s like all the trees got together, had a little powwow and decided on a day. “How about Thursday?”…And they all said… “Ok, Thursday sounds good”. And the next day, just like that…summer was over.
There were the usual hints, of course. The briskness in the morning air that makes you feel ten years younger. The perfect soothing warmth of the afternoon sun that makes you forget you ever had any woes for a while. And of course, the crickets starting to turn up the volume…one of my personal favorites. And then there’s the density of the 482 shades of green beginning to soften and give way to subtle yellowish hues…and an occasional dot of orange or red.
So it wasn’t a complete surprise. I mean, we all knew it was coming. It happens every year, right?! But this year it felt different. One day everything was green… and the next day there was half a layer of brown leaves on the ground.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. While I’m definitely a big fan of summer, I’m also a big fan of fall and boy was I ready for it this year. I’ve been pushing hard this year on a number of fronts and I am very ready for a break. I’m ready to go inward. I’m ready for warm fires and hot chocolate. I’m ready to watch the leaves turn colors and fall to the ground and finish putting the garden away for winter. I’m ready for warm baths and cool nights. I’m ready for the slower pace of autumn.
And besides, we kind of missed it last year with the whole Helene insanity and all. Never saw that one coming…
September 27th marked a year since Helene and her high waters rearranged so much for so many in Western NC and beyond. And of course that’s putting it mildly. I would imagine you know by now there were entire communities and parts of communities that were basically, and in some cases literally, wiped off the map.
At one point during the storm our lights started to flicker, and we looked out our picture window to see our neighbor's small tree had fallen on our power line. The line was attached to the house and was about to get yanked off. My partner, Keith, ran out into the storm… chainsaw in hand…buckets of water going sideways… and freed it up or it would’ve been much uglier for us. There was only minor damage to the house, and we basically got off scott free compared to so many of the communities around us.
The damage was so extreme… the amount of water was sooooo extreme, that many will cautiously slip in how they think it might not have actually been natural. I’ve seen this a lot now. People tiptoeing around the subject wanting to discuss it, but not wanting to offend.
Unfortunately I’ve also seen a couple of other things a lot as well. I’ve talked to people who are so absolutely sure that it was not a natural event that they act like anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly an idiot. And I have seen folks exhibit visible disgust towards others for even daring to question such a thing.
So this is what I’ve got to say about that. My preference is to choose peace and keep an open mind at all times.
While I’m far from an expert on the subject, I’ve read enough and heard enough to have formed an opinion which I believe is valid… simply for the fact that it’s my opinion. I deserve to have one. You deserve to have one. And everyone else deserves to have one too. Hopefully you agree.
Our government has been openly experimenting with cloud seeding since well before the Vietnam War. That’s well documented. There were even international laws passed against the use of such technology in warfare because of how it was used in Vietnam. In all honesty, I believe it would be a little naive to think that there have not been significant advances in that type of technology over the last 50 years. So l do not believe it is out of the realm of possibility that something like that could have played a role. If somebody wants to call me a conspiracy theorist, that’s fine… I call it an open mind.
Likewise… nature can be fierce! Ever heard of Mt. Vesuvius? Shit happens! We are going through some massive earth changes right now. And that’s a whole other ball of wax…or can of worms, depending on how you want to look at it. I personally believe this is an incredibly interesting and important subject, and I like to hear all the different takes on it.
I know many who believe the extreme weather events we’re seeing lately are due to climate change and that human activity on the planet is 100% the cause. I know some who believe “climate change” is actually a “farce” and the dramatic events we’ve seen as of late are due to the earth moving through a millennial scale cycle. I know some who believe it’s a combination of the two. I know some who are convinced there are some nefarious actors and some wild conspiracies at play. I know some who believe this is the “end of times” from the Bible and that there’s basically nothing to be done but ride the tide and pray . And I know some who believe it’s a combination of some of all the above. And most of the “some” people that I am referring to here are all actually very intelligent and caring people. I genuinely love to hear all the different directions people are coming from!
If Helene taught us ANYTHING… it was damn sure to go with the flow. And it was also to work with your neighbors regardless of their political affiliations, sexual orientations or WHATEVER personal belief systems they might have that differ from your own. The coming together we witnessed here was as epically inspirational as the hurricane was epically devastational. The level of co-operation among our Appalachian communities was absolutely phenomenal. And the outpouring of love and support from across the nation was just as awe inspiring.
I remember one day, probably a month after the storm, I was blocked from pulling out onto the highway because of a massive convoy from Georgia. When I realized what it was, I just started crying at the beauty of it all and I got out of my car and stood there waving at everyone until they had all passed. There had to have been at least 50 vehicles. Vans and trucks and cars and trailers bringing relief by the tons. It’s bringing tears to my eyes again remembering that moment. People are so amazing when they are acting from love.
So no, I’m not here to suggest you believe or not believe anything in particular about Helene or anything else for that matter. I’m here to invite you to keep an open mind, and more importantly, an open heart when you hear something that rubs you the wrong way or just sounds entirely nuts. I know, for me, it can be hard sometimes, but I find it’s always…but always…worth it when I do!
When it feels like there is so much at stake, it’s easy to get triggered so I think it’s more important than ever that we remember to just be quiet and listen…really listen. Going out and being quiet in nature helps me remember how to do that.
I also think it’s more important than ever to be bold and simply speak your truth and let the haters hate regardless of what you believe. Being quiet in nature helps me do that too.
I’m willing to bet that since you are still reading this, you have ears to hear me as a fellow human being who cares deeply for the well being of this planet and all its inhabitants. I am sincerely grateful you’re on the journey with me.
There are many who are still recovering from the effects of Helene. If you feel drawn to support the ongoing recovery efforts, here is a link to do so.
With that I wish you a beautiful fall.
Sincerely,
Evenlight
PS… I have a precious kitty of 17 years passing away and have been trying to get this blog post finished for the past couple of weeks now. I find it quite ironic that I’m finally able to do so just as the hurricane is making landfall in Jamaica. My heart goes out to the people of Jamaica. May only the best come from their hard road ahead.