A Deceptively Delightful Summer
Raging floodwaters, unyielding heat domes, unexpected wildfires and, in my neck of the woods, a surprisingly temperate couple of months.
Apologies for the sporadic and inconsistent newsletter this summer! As soon as school starts up, I’ll be back to a regular(ish) posting schedule. But in the meantime …
As I write this, Mother Nature has gifted my area with one of those perfect summer days. I’m not exaggerating, either. Today, the weather barely hit 80 degrees with humidity under 50 percent. Visibility was perfect, with a brilliant blue canopy virtually uninterrupted by clouds, and the few wispy pillows of white that were scattered about only added detail to the masterpiece of a sky we lucky enough to enjoy. Even the air quality — an issue that has been problematic due to Canadian wildfires — was “Good.”
Meanwhile, nearly everywhere else in this country — and plenty of other places around the world — things are a mess.
In the North America alone, record-setting heat domes have blanketed the bulk of the U.S. for the majority of the summer, Biblical flooding has wreaked havoc on “climate havens” like Vermont, wildfires ran rampant throughout Canada and Southern California saw its first federal tropical storm warning in its history.
Even Maui, an island paradise where the weather fluctuates by only around five degrees between winter and summer, was the site of the one of the deadliest wildfires on record in the U.S. The island is so beautiful that it’s one of the top honeymoon destinations for newlyweds. That’s where my wife and I went. In fact, during our honeymoon, I heard several variations of this conversation:
Annoyingly bubbly couple: “We’re actually here for our honeymoon …”
Local worker: “You and everyone else.”
Nothing as it seems
When you’re living inside of a safe, secure little bubble where nothing is happening, it’s easy to believe things aren’t as bad out there as everyone is making it out to be (a.k.a., the what global warming? approach).
For once, social media can play a positive role in bringing people back to reality. With natural disasters, it’s all but impossible to avoid at least catching fleeting glimpses on various feeds and channels of the devastating wildfires and flooding to remind you that in most places this summer has been anything but delightful.
Videos like this:
And this:
And this:
And this decidedly unfunny video juxtaposed with a commentator’s hilariously double-rainbow-esque delivery and bystander’s church laugh:
Beyond the numbers
Natural disaster coverage starts first with straight reporting, the who, what, when, why and how of it, and generally tries to give audiences some perspective on the scale of the damage. For instance, you might hear, “… it’s the most devastation the area has seen since Hurricane Chunk touched down in Oregon back in …” That’s just an example obviously. As far as I know, there’s never been a Hurricane Chunk. I’ve just been trying really hard to get my kids to watch The Goonies lately.
I always stick around for the types of stories that tend to trickle out a few days after the event — the personal tales from the individuals who lived through the natural disasters. In Maui, you had several stories of people escaping the fires by jumping into the ocean, including this family who spent more than five hours in the Pacific.
One of the stories from Vermont about an engaged couple, Spenser Peterson and Mallory Walling, and a blue house hit especially close to home for me. This paragraph from a CNN story on the couple could’ve been about Liz and me:
“Water rushed into what was meant to be their forever home, rising waist-deep and knocking everything over. It crumbled the drywall, buckled the floors, swelled the doors, damaged the young couple’s belongings and covered everything with sludge.”
All things considered, it appears the couple is faring well. Like Liz and me, friends and family put together a GoFundMe for Spenser and Mallory (and their dog Danny), and in spite of the horrible experience, the couple has no intention of leaving their beloved blue house. In fact, that’s where they plan to get married.
I’m even debating reaching out and volunteering my services as an ordained minister. (Reader note: After becoming ordained by the Universal Life Church to officiate the wedding of my high school friend Talia and my college roommate Dan, I’ve since married four other couples.)
Another Reader Question!
‘Do You Ever Get Tired of Writing About Your House Getting Flooded?’
Submitted by Taylor P (first question by a Canadian reader!)
Damn, Taylor. You put that rather bluntly, didn’t you? But it’s a fair question. The answer is ABSOLUTELY! A few newsletters into this project, I realized I couldn’t keep it going by simply talking about my own experience. That’s why I’ve been slowly testing the waters, writing about subjects outside of my comfort zone and searching for stories from people like Spenser and Mallory as well as experts in the field of climate change/global warming/whatever you want to call this apocalyptic tipping point we’re blindly hurtling our species toward at full speed.
That’s why I’m considering a little rebranding. What would you think if I changed the name of this newsletter to “Disaster Stories: Tales of Hope From a Planet on The Brink”? I’d still cover my own experience, rebuild and any future disasters I experience moving forward, but I’d also include other people’s stories, expert Q&A and possibly a short podcast. If you like the idea, let me know in the comments. If not, well, I guess do the same. Also, anybody have any experience creating logos?
If you’re enjoying what you read, consider sharing. Remember, word-of-mouth is the best way to spread the word and help me grow the readership.
Til Next Time,
Jared
I like the idea!