Weather the Whether or Whether the Weather

Weather

As defined by Collins Dictionary

whether : (1) used to introduce an indirect question

                (2) used to introduce a clause expressing doubt or choice

weather : (1) the day-to-day atmospheric conditions

                (2) to undergo or cause to undergo changes such as
                    discoloration, due to the action of the weather

                (3) to come safely through a storm

Wow. So many thoughts about these two words...in many ways they are similar – the WEATHER conditions in Melbourne and Torquay - maybe even all of Australia – can change moment by moment and therefore, in an atmospheric way, cause the greater part of the population here to think about WHETHER or not to bring the 'brelly (umbrella).

Hmmm...WEATHER is so changeable.....wait...I will not begin rambling on about time and change...that was the last blog!

I love that people tune into the Weather Channel or the news to get “the WEATHER”. When living in Florida, we watched the Weather Channel religiously at the first sign that the Tropics were conjuring up wicked WEATHER....we all wanted the same thing....to know EXACTLY where, when, and how strong....we wanted the Weatherperson to inform us of our fate.

But instead we got WHETHER.....we got IF...OR...ELSE...AND...words that hold great meaning to a computer programmer coding the next great application, but feel cold and distancing to Floridians, or for that matter, any person in the path of a great storm....these words brought doubt and endless possibilities....the unknown....ergo...WEATHER.

The thing about WEATHER is that, when spoken about in past tense; it can be quite soothing...we “WEATHER the storm” is an age old saying that will continue to be used because of its simple truth....it's meaning is clear to all that hear it...it conveys one's relief of surviving a bump in life....WHETHER it is WEATHER; or something else.

Once again, while mowing the lawn....probably one of the best times to let the mind wander...I thought about the WEATHER of Australia...

Torquay's June winter WEATHER played in the yard...Sun slipped in and out of clouds that were rolling across acres of sky...the wind orchestrated a magnificent opus using our chimes, trees, and leaves...the temperature inched down a degree. This started me thinking about the role WEATHER plays in my life and my connections with people...friends, family, and strangers....what better way to open a conversation...I realized I talk in terms of WEATHER (although I do sometimes talk in terms of WHETHER)...and I don't just limit myself to calamities....it could be June Gloom in California, or humidity choking everyone in Florida, or debilitating heat, wringing the energy from those in the Mid-West.

I think about my conversations with my family...how we look back on favorite trips by discussing the WEATHER... “Oh, do you remember how foggy and cold Maine was...and it was AUGUST!”...of course that is what I remember...my brother may have just remembered the small boat we took out each day!

We all tend towards WEATHER/WHETHER....looking at a broader perspective, the moon, sun, stars, and planets effect every aspect of life here on Earth...our own personal vibrations, our life essence, are encased in a human physiology made up of – well – predominantly water. So as the oceans move; so do we; as the oceans help create our WEATHER , it also may create WHETHER for us. And WEATHER/WHETHER impacts many, many aspects of our world...prices skyrocket when banana plantations are decimated by cyclones...oil goes up when hurricanes damage oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico...thunderstorms with their hail, lightning and rain, can bring transportation to a halt....heat waves burn up the crops....but then too...uncertainty in economies causes stock markets to roller coaster...the burden of repayment of debt creates country and global concerns...doubt about finding new pools of natural resources weighs on the minds of every generation.

There is a calmness to this uncertainty, this doubt...if one is able to accept the fact that we may be able to predict what MAY occur, but not EXPECT that it WILL occur...if one can cultivate a flexible mindset to the WEATHER/WHETHER in one's life....well then.....everyday can be a beautiful one.