Thoughts around Hurricane Matthew… 10-8-16

I’ve been living in the eastern part of Central Florida for two years now and this was my first experience with a Hurricane. Below is a reflection of myself before, during and after Hurricane Matthew.

I “work” in a couple of different ways. Because I’m practical and have common sense, I prepare. So I took the advice of friends and officials, filled up my car with gas, purchased water, food, batteries and flashlights. I filled up sandbags, water jugs, and bathtub. All the outdoor furniture was put in the garage.

I prepared inside my home as well, just in case a window broke out, or worse yet, if I lost the roof or walls. I put books and photographs in plastic bags, stored knickknacks and collectibles, covered or removed furniture near windows, placed dining chairs against walls and unplugged everything I wasn’t using. Then I located the shut off valves for gas & water.

I also made myself an inviting place to ride out the storm...in the closet of my bedroom. I removed anything that felt uncomfortable in there (i.e., bins on the top shelves), and added a large comfy chair and end table. I had food, an ‘essentials’ bag, water, books, a bike helmet, writing journal and art supplies.

As I was doing all this, I was watching, observing, and taking mental notes. I had been listening to the weather reports for days. I had the up-to-the-moment weather map on my phone. I was tracking the storm. I was also taking note of who was leaving the area and who was staying. I listened to people who have been through this before. And I watched myself.

I noticed that when I was out gathering my supplies, I became hyper. I was antsy, in a hurry, driving a bit erratic and unable to settle into my body. I was reminded of the squirrels and how I used to watch them in late fall. If they were running around frantic gathering and storing food, I knew we were in for a bad winter. Well, we were all acting like squirrels. There was definitely an excitement in the air, a bit of frantic energy. I could feel it.

The only place my mind and body remained calm was in my home. Both Tuesday and Wednesday, my closest friend and I were getting the supplies we needed. We hung out between the two homes. But, by Wednesday, I couldn’t settle down when I was at his house. I HAD to leave and as soon as I walked in my door, I was calm. I felt protected.

At one point during all this I had a personal epiphany. I realized that I needed to be in this storm alone. It was something I had to do. A vision quest is what comes to mind right now. I was very aware of how alone I am... that we all are. It’s not about loneliness; it’s really quite simple. We may walk a path with another, but in the end we are alone in flesh, and it is in that alone-ness that we truly meet ourselves and can no longer hide. Ironically enough, it is also where we can find more than our alone-ness. That is where I needed to be and was willing to experience.

I also gain strength and vitality from nature. Wind, in particular, makes me feel alive. I love standing in a strong wind with my arms out, head back, feeling it whip around me. There’s a raw wildness in it, and me, at that time. So, yes, I was a little excited. But I also understand there is danger in hurricane force winds. This is where I relied on my intuition and those living here to guide me.

My friends and family were, of course, concerned. They were listening to the news as well, and mostly hearing about the devastation a Category 4 storm can cause and how towns were being evacuated. I was in the Hurricane Warning zone, living only 30 miles off shore. One person commented on FB, “I think you should leave, you’ll be fearing for your life. Why put yourself through that?” Another friend kept encouraging me to “get out.”

However, every time I checked in with myself... the place where I felt peace was in my house. If I considered going to a shelter, I became agitated, nervous. I couldn’t imagine being in a room with so many people and animals... the crying babies, bored children and scared adults. So many fearful of what they would be going home to.

I considered driving out of the area but that didn’t feel right either. Being on the road felt more dangerous than staying put.

When I thought of being at home, I was calm. I could also feel that a protective dome was placed over my home and over my neighborhood. It was very real. The fear was not. So after all the prep was done, I got to work, energetically. Even though this was always going on at some level, I brought it into my consciousness and let myself do what I do, joining the others who were also at work.

I energetically pushed and visually protected and… let it go. Then I went to bed. As I was closing my eyes, a group of Native Americans doing a dance came into my vision. They were chanting.  So, while lying there, I chanted with them, out loud, until I dozed off. I was at peace with whatever I woke up to.

When I woke around 7:00 a.m., I turned on the TV to hear the storm was classified as a Category 3, and probably would stay off land. The bands around the eye were also weakening. Once more, I checked in with myself, and again, felt I should stay put. I showered, made coffee and ate breakfast while I still had power.

Throughout the day, I watched as the most dangerous part of the storm stayed to the east side of the eye, out at sea. It was classified as a Category 3 Hurricane with 110-130 mph winds; 50-75 mph winds in my area, gusting to even stronger. Trees were uprooted, most of my town lost power, but it was not as bad as it could have been. We didn’t have any lightening and no flooding.

My home remained protected by the town homes behind it and the homes on both sides and front. I felt very fortunate throughout the day. I was happy to have stumbled into this home, which I impulsively purchased; happy to be watching my small willow and prayer flags blowing in the wind; happy the drainage was doing what it was intended to.

Throughout the storm I stayed in contact with my neighbor. We had exchanged keys in case we needed to check on each other. I took a few videos throughout the day. Honestly, from my position, it didn’t seem like much of a storm at all. Our neighborhood never lost power.

I did go outside at one point, to feel the wind. I wanted to soak it up, absorb what it was offering. It was strong, powerful. It was getting rid of any loose debris, anything dead or needing to be shaken up. The rain was cleansing. Together they cleared out what had become stagnant. A tree two doors down from me, directly at the end of my alleyway, was completely uprooted and leaning on the house. The storm was definitely a force.

I found that I followed suit inside my home. Since the tops of all my stands and counters were clear, I started a deep cleaning, washed my sheets and purged some clothes. I am only putting back what continues to serve me and is in alignment with who I am at this time. I noticed there are many other people saying they purged and cleaned too.

The sun is shining today. I have large dead limbs to pick up from my scrawny but lovely willow tree and I think I’ll clean the patio now that everything has been removed from it. The day truly feels fresh and new. I am grateful for it and for all the prayers of protection that were offered up.