MEMOIR
The Suddenness of Storms
On the Weather and Mood Swings
This was written on July 23rd, 2020, while in Panama City Beach, Florida.
We were swimming in the turquoise, azure waters off of Panama City Beach and let the buoyancy of the saltwater treat us like bath toys. The weather was clear and perfect, at least for the moment. The cool feel of the water was the perfect accompaniment to the glaring heat of the Florida sun. We had set up our tent on the sand and went straight for the water. “It couldn’t be any more perfect,” my girlfriend said. But the horizon was thick with thunderheads; dark, angry storm clouds moving in faster than could be imagined.
Inside, I hoped that the storm would pass us by without consequence, but as nature wants to do, it headed directly towards the hundreds of people enjoying the summer’s spoils and us. The winds swept in, sending tents and sand flying everywhere. People screamed and ran for cover as the power of the storm unleashed itself upon us, and it began to rain, pelting drops.
It is not uncommon for storms to roll in and out in the south without the slightest pretext. They move like roving motorcycle gangs, all hellfire, and fury for what seems like an instant, and then off they are again as fast as they came. There is a saying that if you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes. Where I am from in Southwest Georgia, you can experience tornado-level winds and storms, and then thirty minutes later, the sun can be shining and the birds singing once more. Sometimes the storm cloud is so small that the sun shines through it. The proper term is a sun shower, but as the folk saying goes, “the devil is beating his wife since God made so perfect a day.”
My moods are like these storms. They roll in full of thunder and lightning and pelting rain and are gone as soon as you can tell what is going on. I can be depressive and then ten minutes later elated at the prospect of some new creative project or vice versa. I can go from angry to peaceful in no time flat. That is the way it is with my disorder. I have learned to weather these storms and ride them out in a manageable way. Just as there is no way to control the direction of the weather, there is no way to control these mood fluctuations. But, you can find cover and wait them out. You can learn the difference between a mood swing influenced thought and one that is genuine. “This too shall pass” is one of my mantras that I repeat during these times. Like the rain, it can’t last forever, and soon enough, the sun will shine again.
Be Open Says;
So pleased to present you 1 of Be Open Golden Stories created by: B. J. Vanderhoof
Approved by Be Open’s Editors: A Shayens Abran & Priya Tandon
