We’ve all heard the news by now. Hurricane Harvey is pelting the state of Texas. That big State has been through some things from the start. Texas has been controlled by Spain, France, the Confederate States of America, and Mexico.
Finally, it found its own freedom when it declared its independence from Mexico in 1836. And most people don’t know that The Lone Star State was truly “lone” for a while. It was its own country, the Republic of Texas, for 9 years (1836-1845).
But right now, the state of Texas is being controlled by Harvey.
Oh, those Natural Disasters caused by weather. What a thing they can be. The people down there in Texas are going to know some serious hardships in the next coming days, and beyond. I send out good prayers for all of them.
Natural Disasters take on many different forms. Hurricanes. Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Blizzards, Forest Fires, Mudslides. I’m probably leaving some out. Personally, I have only been in blizzards, earthquakes, and tornadoes. I don’t know if Ohio Earthquakes count though. They just feel like little rumbles. Kind of like bad Disco Dancing, or something. But that tornado I experienced was one of the most terrifying things in my life. I hope never to be in that predicament again.
Back to Texas. Harvey is ripping things apart down south. The flooding will be devastating. I was thinking, that there used to be a drink called the Harvey Wallbanger. It is Vodka, OJ, and Galliano. That should be the new nickname for the storm. The Harvey Wallbanger. Maybe the Official Drink too.
I wonder how come Hurricanes and Tropical Storms get names, and no one else does. Is it because tornadoes and earthquakes are unpredictable? That really can’t be it though. Because blizzards don’t get names, and they can be spotted out a few days in advance… just like tropical storms.
I know they name the hurricanes so that it will help people remember the storms and be able to communicate about them more effectively. That’s how it started at least. But it somehow doesn’t seem fair that the other natural disasters should be nameless.
I also wonder why they pick the names they do. I know a few Harvey’s. One of our neighbors is named Harvey. A couple of our dear friends have a dog named Harvey. Then there is Jimmy Stewart and his 6-foot rabbit named Harvey. But I doubt that the storm’s name had anything to do with my references.
None-the-less. It is here. On planet Earth. It reminds us just how powerful the forces of nature can be. How there are no guarantees for us humans. That life can change on the dime. That everything is constantly changing and nothing stays the same. Sometimes it can be quite turbulent.
And. The best we can do, in any of it…. … is to do our best. In each moment. Our best is all that can be asked of us. No one can do more.
We share this obligation with everyone. A common thread. But the thing of it is…. This is not someone else’s best which is expected of us. Simply our own. And that is what we do. For ourselves. And for each other.
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“The best thing to do now, is to do the very best you can.”
― Allen Drury, Into What Far Harbor?
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“I believe you get up in the morning and do the best you can.”
― Allan Dare Pearce, Paris in April
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“At the end of the day, remind yourself that you did the best you could today, and that is good enough.”
― Lori Deschene
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