One of my rituals for each new year is to choose a word to influence me for the year. My word for 2011 is EXPERIMENT. To support my EXPERIMENTAL focus, I commit to post the results of a new experiment each Sunday of this year.
In case you haven’t heard, a hurricane hit the East Coast this weekend. In fact, it’s still hitting some.
Here in NC, we had plenty of notice. So my experiment for this week was to take advantage of doing some things that I wouldn’t have done without Irene.
Here’s what I did during Irene:
- cleaned my ceiling fan blades while the power was off;
- went for a walk in the rain with Blossom;
- read an entire novel;
- started a new massage & pedicure pre-hurricane tradition;
- replaced my 15-year-old not so rechargeable flashlight; and
- chose NOT to be afraid.
What opportunities did Irene (or other storms you’ve experienced) afford you?
Lisa’s Cheap Therapy blog 
I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as an emergency responder (public affairs) for several hurricanes in NC, FL, AL, and TX. Having witnessed the devastation caused by Floyd, Charley, Isabel, Ivan, and Ike, I am never ‘excited’ by the approach of a storm . . . always grateful if it proves to be merely an annoyance, and glad for all the people who are willing to work long hours in unpleasant or dangerous conditions to help us recover. This morning I am especially grateful to the linemen out there restoring power. THANKS
practice. this storm gave me a chance to practice doing as much as I can or know how to do in preparation for an event that frightens me because at a certain point I have to let go and trust that I have no more control. At all. I do not like that. but it keeps on showing up and I keep getting the opportunity to practice again. did real well with the hurricane stuff – I did real well with the hurricane stuff. I did real well with the hurricane stuff….
Penny, i share your gratitude.
and Carol, you did real well with the hurricane stuff.
thanks for connecting, ya’ll!
So glad you are all okay! We have volcanoes and earthquakes here in Washington State, with a rare tsunami thrown in for good measure, but the scariest emergency I have gone through was a flood several years ago. My husband stayed at the house to take care of our animals and his parents’ house next door. We had very little notice the water was coming. I learned you take the dopiest things with you when you have five minutes to decide. I grabbed our family photos, our three year old son and my brand new winter coat and jumped in the car by myself, I was terrified. I was the last car out of the valley. God was on my side because I turned right instead of left at the stop sign on our road. I would have driven right into the rising river if I had gone the other way. The water was halfway up the door of my little sedan. I am so grateful I knew enough to keep my foot on the gas so the car wouldn’t literally flood out. We got to home the next day because it was a tidal flood and the water was dropping fast. A house coming downstream at the height of the flood took out the bridge and all the power for two weeks, that wasn’t much fun, but we made it. Now I keep all our important papers in one safe place that I can grab if we have another emergency. I learned I am braver than I thought I was and I really can do whatever I have to do.
Lisa, if you don’t mind, I’m going to add your “massage and pre-hurricane pedicure tradition” to my pre-disaster checklist. Excellent! 🙂
Roxanna, what a horrifying experience! and YES – you ARE brave!
Pickett, feel freeeeeeeeeeeeee m’dear. it worked like a charm. 🙂
thanks, ya’ll…