Hurricane Irma

Hurricanes are major life disrupters. We just had one which scored pretty much a direct hit on Florida. That's right - on the whole state. The Keys were wiped out along with both the southern east and west coasts. Then the eye came over the center of the state so most inland areas felt the effects of Irma, as well. Jacksonville in the far northeast corner of the state experienced devastating winds and flooding from rain and storm surge. Where I live, about 25 miles west of Jacksonville, in a rural county, it was a mess of downed trees and power lines. We were without power for about a week. Although we saw lots of water our house did not flood like some others near us did. We spent a few days camping out at home and then moved over to our son's house only a few miles away where there was power.

The first couple of days were ok and my wife and I felt like survivalists living off the grid. Then, it got hot and we were sweaty, stinky survivalists and the pride we had taken in surviving was wearing off. We have a septic system so we had to stop flushing too or risk a backup. More stink. While I could relieve myself out in the wilds my wife was not going to use a cup inside. So by the third day, we were making daily treks to our son's house and then just moved in.

Hurricanes disrupt as I said. The routines of life are out the window and mostly what you do is figure out the next meal, the night's sleep, and where the nearest bathroom is. There are no lights so you make do with a flashlight and you make coffee with a camp stove. We had those and the power company was working hard to get people up and running. Many people down south of us and in the Caribbean Islands were really suffering with much less.

I was going to write about lessons learned but I did not learn much. What I experienced was the helpfulness of neighbors, the concern of family, and the community of church. Getting through this monster storm and its aftermath reminded me of what really matters and helped me make connections with people who cared. I saw the storm bring out the best and worst in people. At times, I felt my best and my worst.

One of the best descriptions of a Florida hurricane I've read comes from Zora Neale Hurston's, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Here is a small portion of it.

"The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God."

If I learned anything, that might be it.