A Rainy Day in Gijon
Last week I found myself whining about the cold, wet weather, and the fact that we did not have a clothes dryer or a car. Admittedly, it was not one of my finer moments. I may have even said, “I can’t live here anymore!” Deep in my heart, though, I knew I was just having a cranky moment. Of course, life has a way of changing your perspective, and the weather, if you wait a day or two.
The weather in Gijon is not much different than what we experienced in Washington for the past 23 years. The difference is that we did not have to rely on walking to get anywhere, unless we wanted to do so. Seizing the opportunity, Rocky used my little melt down as a chance to do what he loves best: go shopping! We bought warm coats, a blanket for our bed and some sweaters. Then, of course, the sun came out! Eventually we will be able to wear our new warm clothes but for now they are a little too warm.
The momentary panic I felt about the sky falling, or at least large amounts of rain, reminded me of Y2K. If you were an adult in the year 2000, you remember the doomsday warnings we heard leading up to New Years Eve 2000. The wild predictions had even the most rational people stockpiling food and water, and of course toilet paper, just in case the computers we had come to depend on for everything no longer functioned and society collapsed, at least temporarily.
At the time of Y2K, I was more concerned with the 70 diapers I was changing every week and what the twins were putting into their mouths than if society as we knew it was going to shut down. I did ask Rocky to pick up another box of diapers at Costco, just in case, but we did not spend much time filling our “bunker” with dry goods. Thankfully for all of us, January 1, 2000 was rather uneventful and the extra diapers eventually got used.
Years later, when the kids were school aged, we were asked to send one gallon Zip-loc bags full of snacks on the first week of school. These would be handed out to the kids if there was an emergency that kept them from being able to come home. Year after year the boys picked out their favorite junk food (pudding, cookies, peanut butter crackers, Starburst candy) that contained enough preservatives to last the entire school year. I would include the requisite, “If you are reading this, Mommy and Daddy can’t be with you, so listen to your teacher” letter. On the last day of school, the boys would bring those old snack bags home and tear into them like they’d just found a bag of their favorite Halloween candy in the back of their closet. A questionable year-end ritual, for sure.
This week when Rocky returned from Spanish language class and announced that most of Europe may be subject to rolling black-outs this winter due to the colder than normal temperatures that are expected this year and corresponding energy shortages, I had a difficult time taking it seriously. Then I started reading more about the possibility and discovered that it was more likely to happen than not. Most reports have this inevitable disaster striking sometime in the next five years though, not necessarily this winter. Good news for procrastinators everywhere: You have time to gather your junk food!
The Austrian Defense Ministry who also predicted back in 2017 that there would soon be a global pandemic, launched a campaign last month to prepare their citizens for this new challenge. As a result, people all across Europe are on notice to gather candles, batteries, drinking water, cash, radios and non-perishable food items.
Suddenly, not having a clothes dryer or a car seem like minor details. In fact, not owning those energy guzzlers feels like one way for us to do our part to help prevent future shortages. Buying warm coats, a couple of sweaters and a new blanket for our bed was not only a mood shifter but may have actually been essential for us to prepare for winters in Europe. After all, there is no bad weather, just bad (or insufficient) outer wear, right?
Thinking back to another cold night…In August of 1987, Rocky and I drove to Sedona, Arizona for the Harmonic Convergence, one of the world’s first global peace meditations. We took Rocky’s mom and grandma with us to explore because it was one of his grandma’s favorite places in the world. When we arrived in Sedona, which is known for its powerful natural energy vortexes, we were not surprised to see more than the usual number of hippie-types hanging around town. (Being a California yogi at the time, I may have fit right in!)
Anyway, we overheard a few of my “people” talking about the fact that Aliens were expected to land on Bell Rock (a well-known Sedona landmark) that night and take people with them to another dimension during the meditation on peace. The other possibility that was being discussed was that Bell Rock would actually turn into a space ship and take off with anyone brave enough to jump on board. From the sound of it, there were quite a few hoping for a ride!
Intrigued by the hoopla and undeterred by a possible alien abduction, we tucked his mom and grandma in for the night at Don Hole’s Cabins and headed over to Bell Rock to see what was happening. All over the expansive red rock formation were groups of people singing and chanting around bonfires in the name of world peace. The stars were brilliant and the whole place had a festival-like atmosphere. We hung out, watching, listening and meditating for several hours until we got cold and finally headed back to our cabin. In the morning, Bell Rock remained in tact, with no sign of any alien landings, although it was now littered with countless burned out fire pits.
After being blindsided by the global pandemic in 2020, I am not willing to dismiss the warnings about black-outs too easily. La Republica, one of the sources I read on this subject stated, “The causes for a possible failure of the electrical system are many, from technical failures, overloads due to demand peak, malfunctions in the system or even ‘extraterrestrial’ causes.” Made me wonder if those groovy folks on Bell Rock so many years ago were just a bit off on their timing instead of completely crazy.
Of course, I’m hoping that the threat of rolling black-outs goes the way of Y2K and Alien Landings on Bell Rock. Just in case, though, we will stock up on candles, water and canned goods. Maybe some chocolate, too, because if we do have rolling black-outs I’m going to need more than a new sweater to keep me from being cranky.
Notes from the author:
Want to read more about the possibility of black-outs? These articles are in Spanish but you can opt for a translation online.
Want to know more about the Harmonic Convergence? https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/08/15/Harmonic-Convergence-new-age-or-summer-madness/3486555998400/
Want to read more about fun yoga retreats instead? https://globalyogatrips.com/
Look forward to up and down dog- so much!!! You open my world!!
Hugs. Sue
Awwww that is so sweet of you to say, Sue! Thanks for reading!
Wonderful reflections. Thank you.