Woes of the Wind (NJ11)


While thinking and writing these journal entries, I have found calmness and beauty in aspects of nature I never realized before.  Cold and hot or cloudy and sunny, all have their purpose and can be pleasing in the right frame of mind.  I have yet to discuss my least favorite type of weather though.  Originally, I brainstormed about everything this weather harms and how unpleasant it can be.  The more I pondered, however, I began to understand it as necessary, purposeful, and even helpful at times.

I became inspired to write about this weather yesterday as I ran around my neighborhood with my father.  Starting at the southern end of the neighborhood, we started running toward the northern tip of the loop.  It was peaceful, a crisp but comfortable day with a light sweatshirt.  After reaching the northern part of the neighborhood and changing direction toward the south, we faced my least favorite type of weather: wind.  It was that midwestern wind that held made flags appear frozen and dropped the temperature in minutes.  The conversation my dad and I had been having abruptly ceased.  Wind howled in my ears as my steps felt resistance.  At this point, my mind filled with negative beliefs of how useless the wind seems.  It is just an uncomfortable piece of weather.  It causes damage in hurricanes and tornadoes.  In the cold, it exacerbates the frigid temperatures.  In the hot, it simply feels like a heater is blowing across my face.  Even more frustrating, it can transform a pleasant day turn into a miserable one if gusts surpass 25-30 mph.

Thinking further, I realized that wind aids in the transition between weather fronts.  It results from and causes the change between cold and hot, dry or humid.  I find these drastic shifts in weather to be an awesome reminder of our place on the planet.  Moreover, some plants need wind for pollination.  I guess I take advantage of it sometimes, too.  While running north with my dad, I floated with ease.  On the way back, the world reminded me that all objects need balance.  The wind can do much more than I thought, acting as a mediator between weather fronts, plants and animals, and me and nature.

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