A Tornado in Brooklyn

Have to say, it's really good to be back.  It has really been a strange week with me and technology...between my cable and my work computer.  Finally, the work computer is working well after a second call to the Help Desk...and my cable has been acting strange since Tuesday.  It'll play great for awhile and suddenly, when you are just in the middle or near the end of something, off it goes...for hours.  Only channels you can get during that time are the Brooklyn Channel which plays the same news over and over again...every 15 minutes...and the Brooklyn weather channel which tells you the weather and transit info, but how much of that can you watch?  Hence, the cable man paid a visit today....ironically, at the same time as the help desk was working on my computer.  Unfortunately, the cable will be off and on until Tuesday; they have to dig up the street.  Something is going on with the main source. Just great, but at least I will have a whole week taken off my bill.

Bursts as a wave that from the clouds impends, And swell'd with tempests on the ship descends; White are the decks with foam; the winds aloud Howl o'er the masts, and sing through every shroud: Pale, trembling, tir'd, the sailors freeze with fears; And instant death on every wave appears.--Homer

Nature, the most powerful force in the world; it is tempestuous and shows it's beauty and its dark side at will, and while man has discovered ways to predict some of nature's behavior, nature has a mind of it's own and has shattered the belief that we "know" how nature behaves time and time again.  Take this past Thursday evening, for example...

...When we went into our staff meeting at 3 pm, the sky was sunny and bright, and by the time we finished at about 5 pm, dark looming clouds were sweeping across the sky and the roar of thunder was gradually rising in the distance. Suddenly, the sky unleashed a torrent of heavy rain and lightening seared the sky.  The storm had begun...but who was to know that a tornado would hit us here in Brooklyn. The weather service has confirmed that not one, but two tornados and a series of microbursts (history making and most violent storms ever in New York City) ripped through the city leaving 14 miles worth of damage, killing a woman, killing  thousands of trees...some more than a century old, knocking down utility poles, tearing off roofs...need I say more.  The following video is one of the best I found that shows the sheer power of this storm.(Actually, there were better, but those had some very vivid language)

Storms are an inevitable part of life, and no matter what kind of preparation we may make, we cannot stop them...and while man may be able to spot a tornado with the help of modern technology and warn people ahead of time, Mother Nature can be fickle and change its path at will....choosing instead to turn her wrath upon unsuspecting victims with devastating results. It's not that she means to hurt us; she is only striking back from all the hurt and pain we have caused her. Many call this the dark side of nature. But, this is her way of crying out in pain. 

Yet, she also has a beautiful and a creative side as well which we often overlook in the face of the destruction she may inflict.  A gentle rain on a spring day, the budding of trees and flowers that signify that Spring is on it's way...the warmth of the sun that increases as the summer approaches...long summer days which dwindle as autumn approaches and leaves on the trees signify the change by turning from green to bright orange, red and yellow colors creating a beautiful landscape for all to admire. Then, when the leaves fall from the trees and the cool air turns cold, snow falls and blankets the earth with a glorious white coat.  Nature has completed once again the cycle of seasons...a cycle that only nature has control over.

Yes, it is true that the awesome power of nature is one to be feared, but it is also true that it should be revered.  Nature destroys, but she also creates...Together, the seasons symbolize the materials of the world, the elements that created her into this beautiful form we treasure and love so much today. Nature has a way with herself, and with the seasons, she is the greatest teachers of life. She gives us what is natural and needed to survive. We get our water, food, materials for shelters, medicines and sheer enjoyment from her. The circle of life is one of her greatest lessons and she has the opportunity to teach it to us every year. One year in our life is one day for Mother Earth.