Saturday, September 6, 2008

Much Ado About Nothing




I'm not sure what is going on in the political world today. A lot of reasons for that, but mostly the post-Hannah no-show aftermath, i.e. letdown. I spent all day in front of the boob tube (watching really doofus movies) because I had no energy for much else. See, The Man and I got all prepped for a storm- food, water, games, flashlights, you name it. We planned this big sleepover at his house (which is three miles from the beach, as opposed to hanging out in my cottage 25 miles from the coast- we're southerners, what can I say. If you want logic, go hang out somewhere else. Anyway...) with my girl and his niece and the two dogs. A great time was to be had by all.

So, we ate, we talked, we played games, they watched a movie while I read, and then we all went to sleep, in anticipation of the tropical storm. And what did we get? Wet. Just rain, very little wind. Not much else. Not even debris blown about. A regular late summer night's rain.

Now, I am really not complaining that nothing bad happened. I live in Charleston, for crying out loud, we are used to prepping for hurricanes. We leave when we have to, and when we don't have to, we huddle together and try to make the best of things. We have hurricane parties (like my friend Chanda did last night) and sleepovers (like we did) 'cause things are less scary when you are all together.

It was a lot of prep for nothing. A waste of my adrenaline. And for that we are very grateful.

2 comments:

Yasmin said...

much ado about nothing is a GOOD THING when it comes to hurricanes and I know you're grateful!
xoxo

Anonymous said...

Yup, you said it well. Ole Hannah didn't even pass wind on us.

It's a fact that immanent danger brings out a certain level of excitement in us. I'm sure there is a psychological term for this phenomenon, but it escapes me right now.

My best Friend Donna, the closest thing to a Sister I will ever know, lives in New Orleans. Her Parish was just opened and she was allowed to go home yesterday from Gustav.

"IKE" might be on its way to their part of the Gulf. There can be no nervous excitement for them - only dread.

I often wonder how the people on the Islands cope with being in Hurricane Alley, decimated over and over again.

I am so glad that Charleston did not take a direct hit (yet) - because I live here.

However, no matter where the storms end up, people are going to suffer. What else can we do but pray, if so inclined, or offer assistance when it happens?

The Keys, Miami..."who knows where else IKE might hit" (a Tina Turner reference.)

Only moments ago Mayor Nagin (no explanation needed as to who he is unless you live in a cave) said, "Our citizens are weary and they're tired and they have spent a lot of money evacuating .. from Gustav," he said. He added that if Ike were to threaten, "my expectations this time is, it will be very difficult to move the kind of numbers out of this city that we moved during Gustav."

Uncertainty gives us a charge, but nothing good comes from destruction anywhere - anyplace. I hope IKE does not strike New Orleans. Either way, where it lands is going to mean heartache for a whole lot of people.