The Dark Side of Nature’s Whispers"
Jimi Hendrix sang a hit song, “The Wind Cries Mary” in the
late sixties which was a tribute to his girlfriend and longtime love. Well, she
may have liked the wind and been honored by the song, but some of us may beg to
differ.
I vividly remember those windy days when I was a classroom
teacher. The staff lounge would be abuzz with teachers commenting on how many
students would be misbehaving on that day and the detention hall would most
likely be full. Let me add that I am so glad I am retired.
There is something about wind that directly affects our
physical and mental status. Observations of the negative behavior of children
on the playground of an American school revealed that the average number of
fights per day doubled when the wind speeds rose about a threshold, above force
6.
Wind does increase our production of adrenaline, metabolisms
speed up us, and blood vessels of the heart show a tendency to stand on end.
Positive ions become over-abundant. The wind’s energy can strip away a negatively charged ion into a positive ion. And these charged particles do strange things. Science has not been able to explain exactly why too many positive ions in the air have a negative impact on us but have confirmed that the effect is real.
I’ve always felt
that the wind picks up so much energy from everything around us: people,
animals, plants, and whatnot. And all of those energies, good or bad impact us.
Our nervous systems
were built to detect changes that require a quick response- when winds become
strong our bodies trigger that ‘fight or flight’ mode releasing stress
hormones, adrenaline, and norepinephrine as a defense response mechanism.
Now let’s talk a
bit about the recent Hurricane Helene and how the wind had affected so many:
Yes, science has its
theories but I have witnessed all types of behavior, good and bad before,
during, and after this hurricane here in Florida.
I live in St.
Petersburg, (Tampa Bay area) and yes, this area got hit hard. Luckily we did
not get any damage other than much debris in our pool and yard. And we do have
the bayou in our backyard that runs out into the bay.
My in-laws were
staying with us from Ohio during this storm. Two days before the storm I had
gone to the market to get supplies and I knew what that situation would look
like. Yes, panic buying was in full swing. The look on shoppers’ faces told it
all. Many were racing their buggies to get to water and nonperishables, some
banging into others without any apologies.
I let many of the
seniors get in front of me as the line to the water aisle was jammed. When I
got there I found two jugs on the top shelf. One man reached ahead of me and
said, “Not till I get one.” Well, he did get his and handed me one.
I was glad to return
home and vowed not to return back there until the storm passed.
The day before the
storm I had a doctor’s appointment and driving to and from was a real stretch. Some
people were polite but others were in full road rage mode. I almost wished I
had taken an Uber to my appointment.
Most of the people
in my neighborhood had evacuated but offered to assist or see if we needed
anything as we did the same. Being we stayed we’d be the boots on the ground.
It was probably a
good thing to have company at the time for moral support. The day of the storm
we were all tense and scared. Our eyes and ears were glued to the weather
stations, but we all pitched in and began moving furniture, placing sandbags
out, and removing all outside furniture as the surge was supposed to be high.
The winds started to
pick up during the late afternoon on Thursday, Sept. 26th. I went
into the backyard to check the water levels and the bayou was starting to rise.
The wind was howling like thousands of banshees. No birds were in the area and
I felt a sense of doom overtake me.
That night, none of
us slept, with having to keep vigil on the rising waters from the bayou in the
backyard. I’d gone out around midnight as the surge was supposed to end around
2 a.m. My husband and I had our boots on and were wading through waters that
had risen from the bayou and into our yard. It was then that I felt like I was
truly in danger. I know what lurks in those waters and I could just imagine a
snake or gator at my feet. I kept thinking, Would this water rush into our
home and have us swimming out? The wind blew harder and the
Mangrove trees were moving wildly and I was screaming. Yes, I was feeling out of control. Our entire
neighborhood was flooded as well. My husband was trying to calm me down but
that was futile. All I could think was, why did we stay here?
We watched the water
until 2 a.m. Luckily it had stopped so we were all tired and able to get some
rest.
In the morning the
waters were receding back to the bayou as well as the front area.
That morning was the
big reveal as to all the damage that the area had received. We were spared
here, but many were not as fortunate. The pictures of the devastation of St.
Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area were devastating. I had family that had homes destroyed.
It’s been a week now
post-hurricane and I do see some calming down but only from those who did not
have devastation to their property. Most people you talk to here are dealing
with PTSD from this. There are neighborhood groups as well as local agencies
that have come to the rescue.
My most recent trip
was out to the store yesterday, traffic was very heavy, and I was still seeing
some aggressive drivers. Some folks needed to replenish food and panic buying
resumed in the store.
The next day after
the storm the winds continued to have some pretty strong bursts here and there.
It was as if the storm was trying to mark its territory.
Hopefully, I will
not encounter a storm like Helene in my lifetime but as far as the wind goes, I
have to say I’ve always feared it, and now more so than ever.
References: www.adirondackalmanack.com
Lorraine Carey
https://authorlorrainecarey.blogspot.com/
Lorraine Carey is a reading specialist and an Award-Winning
Author. She was living in California until fate whisked her off to Grand
Cayman. She currently lives in Florida. Her love for paranormal stories began
at a young age, and is no stranger to the paranormal, having encountered
unexplainable events that are woven into her stories.
