It’s stormy here in Orkney tonight.
Really stormy, the type of storm that even us locals avoid. I let the dog out earlier on and quick as a flash of lightening he was carried back to the door by a gust yelping with immediacy to get back in.
Today’s type of storm invites a kind of trepidation into the belly of you. It serves as a reminder that, as humans, we can engineer as smartly as we want but there will always be elements that we can’t control. There will always be that storm that either blew something to smithereens or out of your life entirely. Something about the intensity causes the pulse to quicken.
It’s fine watching the storm from behind the glass or hearing it through the drawn curtains as you 'Hygge' the space around you. We can be reminded about the temporary nature of out built structures as we hear the sub-frequencies caused by the wind rumbling the very fabric of the building. We get startled by disturbingly familiar crashing sound of some belongings being tossed, care-free, by the gusts. Our own version of a badminton match.
Every time I hear a storm I am reminded of the guidance once offered by a later relative. An ancient meme from Islander’s bygone sentiments that offers comfort in many types of turbulence…
‘Open the window and invite the storm in’.
As much as the wind is a nuisance now, it can be devastating if we neglect it’s presence. The energy in the wind is not something to be overcome but weathered.
The next time you find yourself peering out at the wind and rain or watching the waves through the window of your car. Open the window and invite the storm in, open your heart and let the storm in.
