In New Orleans we are painfully aware of the potential disasters that the weather can bring. Last Sunday we were under a flood watch and parts of the state were under a tornado watch. On days like Sunday I pay attention to the news a bit more closely, watching the weather maps and listening for the degree of concern in the weather woman’s voice.
And when hurricane season opens it’s like march madness all over again, people placing bets and predicting how many named storms, how many Louisiana strikes. When the weather man takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves you know we are in trouble. There’s a bit of excitement about it all. The adrenalin rush that accompanies a dire prediction.
Why is it that the threat of a weather disaster makes us feel more alive? Why is it that we cannot get excited about the normal sunny or cloudy days? Aren’t ordinary days better than bad ones?
When I would get a migraine I would feel really bad and really sorry for myself, and angry.”It’s not fair ” is how I would feel. But it only happened every month or so. What about all those glorious days when I was migraine free? Did I pay attention to them? Was I grateful?
We pay so little attention to the ordinary, the routine, the dull kind of days that are without chaos or disaster. And yet that is what most of our lives are, and we are missing out on enjoying it. It’s time to realize what is good in the ordinary and the routine before we lose it.
Traces of Hope 