The weather in Michigan would not reveal anything about what was going on along the east coast, last week. But everybody in the world could watch it unfold on TV, if they had access to one. Millions of people in this country did not. Power outages and flooding created a path of destruction up the coastline. The storm dumped more water in a couple days, than many places get in an entire year.
Many of us consider ourselves fortunate to have waterfront views – mine is about 20 feet or so above the waterfront, and several hundred feet away. We like the tranquility of bubbling brooks and streams. The rivers are inviting. Most people are close to water. About half our population lives along the east coast. It is natural to be lured by the nature of water. We are mesmerized, while others are stupefied, by the allure of water.
If we study history and examine what is happening today, we can compare it. We know what will happen, because it happened before. History is also forewarning the future. If we look at the water, it is flowing. All water is always moving, even if it is evaporation and precipitation.
When we look upon a flowing stream, we do not think about where it is coming from. We all know it comes from a lake that is draining downhill. That is not always the case, as water may originate from bubbling brooks we do not see that are beneath terra firma. Gravity forces water from beneath soil to create mighty rivers and lakes, which drain. It is easy to comprehend, but we are blind without history. History helps us remember and prepare our futures, during our present.
We see the rivers and brooks within their banks. Our perception is really an illusion of what we think is real. In fact, there is no definition for solid. While standing on a bank, the idea that there is water flowing beneath soil that feels firm to us, seldom entertains our thoughts. Our universe changes and we change with it, so it appears not to change, because we are not consciously changing with it.
Nobody was really prepared for, hurricane Irene. People boarded buildings and hid, but for some, there was no ware to go. We were able to predict the future of, Irene, by relying on histories of similar events. They even categorized the storm by using wind speed indicators. Nobody could accurately predict what actually happened. They talked about the ocean and waves of destruction from surging inland. It was coming up the coast. Most people do not think about just how far inland a hurricane can go.
When it got to, New York, it took an inland course, dumping all the water it gathered from the ocean, completely drenching everything. Too much water super-saturated the ground, and the hills became rivers and streams. Nobody was safe. Miles of roads were destroyed. It separated people by miles of detours, just as history tells us about early America.
They say history repeats itself. It is only a facsimile. If history teaches us anything, we should learn that we do not control nature, it controls us. we can understand how best to shield ourselves from natural disasters, if we can learn from previous storms. Our weather patterns are changing and we have to change with them.
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