For the past year I have been living in a town that I never would have chosen to live in. In fact, I would never have chosen to live any place that has interminable winters and desert-like conditions for most of the year. Sometimes, life’s journey can take us on unexpected detours.
This town is known for its incessant wind that frequently gusts to 60 and 70 miles per hour, or more. Overturned tractor trailers are a common sight on the highway, especially in the winter months, and winter can last easily, for eight or nine months. In fact this year, it arrived before Halloween. This is a hostile environment where winter temperatures often dip below 0°F and soar past 100°F during the brief summers. There is virtually no rain and combined with the drying winds, it isn’t everybody’s cup of tea – certainly not mine.
Sometimes when I am lying in bed at night, listening to the ever constant wind, I pretend that I am listening to ocean waves crashing on the shore. These brutal winds can be every bit as loud as the sea. I like to imagine that I am walking on a beach, smelling the salty air, and listening to seagulls. I will be the first to admit there is no perfect place and we must learn to be content with wherever we are, in the moment. Yesterday morning I awoke to a magnificently beautiful fog. The branches of the few trees, and every blade of tall grass, were coated in a thin sheet of ice. Later on, as it melted, it was a bit like rain as it dripped from the trees.
There are things that I miss from an area where I once lived, as much as a lover who has gone. I miss long, soaking rains. I miss the pitter patter as it strikes the windows, the fresh, earthy smell, and the lush green of plants that thrive in a humid environment. Hopefully, grace will lead me back there, or someplace similar and I can leave this angry wind to those who appreciate it.
