You Do You, I'll Do Me

As we all watch with baited breath as Irma pounds Florida, something has struck me, really hard, right between the eyes.

Some people really panic in a hurricane.

Some have terrible anxiety.

Some duck out as quickly as humanly possible.

Some pride themselves in hunkering down and riding it out.

Some have no option but to stay.

Some shrug their shoulders, take it on the chin with a hearty cry of 'que sera, sera'!

Some rest all their hopes on God.

Some are a mix of all or some of the above.

But wowsers, very few people like it if you do something they don't agree with!!!

I saw posts berating those for praying (really, praying?) for them - 'go do something useful >: '

I saw posts smugly mocking those that evacuated seemingly lightly affected areas.

Is this really the best we can do? *sigh*

All I can take from this, another lesson from my new BFF Irma, is whatever YOU decide, whatever YOU feel is good for your family... go do it, and don't feel you have to explain your decision to one person. Not one person.

I am a true believer in my gut feelings.  And my gut feeling was - Susan get the kids the h*ll out of there. Not me and babe so much... the kids. 

You see, to hardcore Florida veterans, some of the weather might seem inconsequential... a power outage here and there, a few palm fronds in the neighborhood, a lick of flooding.

But back in 2016 we went to France, camping ("glamping" actually which means we were actually very comfortable), and this part of SW France experienced a storm like they had never experienced before.  One minute, we were eating dinner outside enjoying the peace and tranquility of the French countryside, and the next we were all cowering in gale force winds, with the rain lashing down on us.  The wine glasses flew off the table and smashed to the floor.  Our kids, and the kids of the 3 other families on the campsite were crying, totally bewildered at what was going on.

Even now, our boys talk about that night.  They HATE storms, even the regular Florida ones, let alone huge ones accompanied by loss of power or hunkering down in a makeshift panic room of the house.

If it were babe and I?  I don't know... a mattress on the floor and no power plus a decent bottle of wine sounds like the perfect night in :)

But with the kids?  No way!  So we left.

Now, we are thinking of the 1m + Floridians that have left the state and will be weaving their way back home over the next couple of days, and I am thinking 'should we do it differently next time?' (because there surely will be a next time)

And I still feel, in my heart, in my gut, NO.

However you deal with whatever storm is happening in your life (and I mean whatever is happening: your divorce, your family issues, your work problems, your mental chatter frankly not helping at all - whatever it is...) you have to be true to you.  

If getting on social media and sharing how scared you are helps you, go do it.  If putting on a brave face, and facing the world with a smile comforts you, go do it. If you'd rather obsessively watch the Weather Channel and worry, just go do it.

No one should silence whatever it is in you that needs to get out (unless you are going out of your way to wound in which case I say, get some help).

I said to a friend last night, what I am taking from all this is we cannot be silenced any longer.  We deserve to be heard in whatever form that takes, even if others do not like it.  

I can't express it any other way. Sometimes we hold off because we feel like we have to be all things to all people.

Well no more, I say, no more...

It's ok to be you.  It's ok to be me.  You don't have to approve of everything I do, but you can respect it regardless. 

Me?  I'm feeling tired of being away from home, I feel unsettled and unable to focus on anything.  And I'm praying, praying hard, for those that will be worst hit by this beast of a hurricane (because I do believe it does make a difference, especially when you can't physically do very much else to help). I haven't forgotten Harvey or the Caribbean islands battered by this angry weather system, it all weighs heavy on my heart and I know that shows.

I'm not ashamed to say I've been paralyzed by fear at times, been a little delirious and silly once we got to safe place, I've watched the Weather Channel like a crazy lady, and I have a little shame in running to the southern hills when our area ended up being not too badly affected.

But would I do it again?  

Yes ma'am I would.

You go do you, and I'll do me.  

(I'll be the one on the I-95, with a packed Yukon full of kids and family paraphernalia, heading back to home-sweet-home Jupiter, FL with a harassed look on my face but a heart full of gratitude)