A Mighty Storm

Like most moms, caution is my middle name.  Whenever one of the boys is leaving the house, they are subjected to a litany of things to be careful about, watch out for, and not to do.  My ability to imagine potential crises has sometimes been marveled at, but more often ridiculed (the kids outnumber us).

All of which does not explain why upon hearing that Hurricane Irene may pass over or near the island, I am being drawn like a magnet TO the island.  A rational person would be making preparations to leave if Irene’s path nears the Vineyard, but I feel a strong need to go to my house, to protect it, to hold down the fort, so to speak.

If one of my children were proposing heading into a storm rather than out of it, I would be sure to be making the case that that course of action was exceedingly unwise.  I remember all too well pleading with my third son to leave his college dorm in New Orleans on the eve of Katrina.  It took a number of phone calls back and forth, but he did finally agree to leave just hours before the storm hit New Orleans.  He only made it as far as central Mississippi, but it was fortunately far enough to be safe from the worst of it.  I remember the hours waiting to hear whether he had made it out safely or not.  He arrived home days later, the semester he had been about to begin a shattered dream.  In short, I know better than to be having these thoughts.

Realistically, my presence is not going to protect anything.  Sheer force of will does not keep trees out of windows, though I will admit I have been successful at that to date :-)  Obviously, I don’t want this storm to cause any damage, or harm a single soul.  But what is it about a storm that is so compelling?  What is it that rivets my eyes on a strong wind, a driving rain, nature showing us who is boss? 

A storm activates the fight in my fight or flee instinct.  I want to watch, I want to see.  I want to stand my ground and see everything turn out all right.  I’m sane enough not to want to be standing on seawalls, but not sane enough to be able to want to miss seeing the storm. 

I should probably call my mom and have her talk some sense into me….