While standing in line at Four-bucks for my latte, I noticed the headline of this morning's Los Angeles Times:
Storm Has Its Eye on California
What has happened to journalistic basics of reporting facts? The headline amused me because my first thought was, no, the storm is pretty much indifferent to California because, well, it's just a weather pattern.
But then I had some fun thinking about how we have the tendency to anthromorphize Nature, much like ancient man created gods with the same petty emotions as mortals to explain things like thunder and lightening:
Ancient Greek Shepherd: Hmmm, sounds like Hera gave naught of sex to Zeus - hear how he thunders in rage and frustration! Better get the goats in.
So, to dig deeper into the news story from the Los Angeles Times, I have to wonder - this winter storm, after ending its relationship with Alaska where it originated (was it over finances or was Alaska just not meeting its needs?), now seemingly hovers off the coast of the Western United States, wondering where it should take a risk with its feelings. Well, I've got my eye on California, but I don't know - I hear the people there have a problem with depth in their relationships, but Oregonians lack that intimacy I want . . . maybe I could have something brief but temporary with the Sierras and then settle in with Colorado for something with meaning and that is mutually fulfilling . . .
After all, we do have a strange tendency to name really big storms. Katrina wrecked New Orleans (the slut) and Andrew did a number on Florida (everyone knew he was a "wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am" kind of guy). Blizzards lose out, though - they just get named after the year in which they occur.
Guy 1: Do you remember the Blizzard of '98?
Guy 2: You mean Frank?
Guy 1: No, Frank was that tropical depression that blew in last Saturday.
Guy 2: Oh, him - bastard said he'd call me and never did . . .
I would like to think cavemen called storms something like "Oooga mook", which roughly translates as "I'm gonna get wet as hell and the river is gonna flood, so I better get the kids into the cave." That seems more to the point. I guess it wasn't until we achieved "civilization" that we decided to hide our ignorance of How Things Worked and recreated the natural world in our image.
Don't even get me started on men and the nicknames they give their - *ahem* - appendages . . .
3 comments:
"Ancient Greek Shepherd: Hmmm, sounds like Hera gave naught of sex to Zeus - hear how he thunders in rage and frustration! Better get the goats in."
That had me howling as in YOMANK. I too caught that "has it's eye on" thing too. Must have been Drudge or something, because I think that's the only news I saw in the last two days. So if Pakistan got hit by a nuke, I'm unaware. did you click on "God's Inbox over at Angela Messenger?" I liked the one from Zeus: "Let's do lunch" or whatever it was. And Budha re: anger management. I like reading Gen. because it's so primal. God getting ticked off and flooding everything. Lot trying to bargain with God... "well, look, if there are TEN good guys...." Sounds like dickering in some Arab bazaar. And yes, "tell them Willy boy sent you" takes on a different coloration when viewed from the anthropomorphizing stage. Are you sure it originated in Alaska, I thought it was them Cannuck basserds! ["Another Canadian arctic blast sweeps down and does its thing, film at 11."] I wonder if the weather reports in India read "on the way... another cold front from Siberia." Although it would probaby do India no end of good.
Karen
Very interesting observation--also think about our music--especially during the 60's--how many songs have the word "baby" in them--the singers are always relating someone they love to a "baby." Do we infantanalize each other?
God sees ALL! He has his eye on every move we make, every step we take, every hair that falls from our head--He knows our heart--what our intentions are--He has His eye on us--hmmm...why does one develop imaginary relationships with storms, (and computers) at the expense of the One who truly sees ALL?!
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