The Atlantic Ocean is bubbling and boiling with storms. The names Earl and Fiona hardly sound threatening. However, they are turning the ocean waters into a witches” cauldron, swirling and smoky. As I write this, there are none in the Gulf, but that may change soon.
This is certainly expected. Hurricanes are more violent at this time of year. Betsy, Camille and the most evil witch of all, Katrina, arrived between Aug. 29 and Sept. 9.
I”ve known a few people who should have had a hurricane named after them. Energy spins around them, wind-whipped and ominous.
In New Orleans, I had a customer that my staff dubbed “The Psychic Vampire.” She was beautiful, a former fur-coat model, and gave the impression that the breadth of her aura was electrically charged. Her charm was overwhelming. When she left the room, the whole shop let out a deep sigh. We could only take such intensity in very small doses.
We have a few of those in Columbus. There are women and men that make me wonder if they have an energy source of some sort, something they use to recharge when the rest of us are asleep. It”s hard to understand how they maintain such frenetic, robotic energy, without enhanced help. Alien technologies, perhaps.
These are the ones who really get things accomplished. But, whatever you do, do not get in the way.
In many ways hurricane-force personalities are huge successes. They are sometimes referred to as “rain makers.” On a very public level, movers and shakers run the world. However, they can also be guilty of running over everyone, everything else. Storms, whether produced by nature or personality-driven, are usually destructive. And, often, it”s relationships that are destroyed.
There is little to do when the eye of the storm is aimed in our direction. Run, hide, give in, all are options.
I”m tired of hurricanes, tornados and aggressive characters. I”m ready for kindness and an end to ego-driven rants. Are celebrities and media magnets subject to rules that do not apply to the rest of us? Well, maybe. But, there is something profoundly wrong with that.
The problem (in my opinion) is that aggressive people think the universe spins around them. They may be surprised to learn that it does not. Like the center of a storm, the only thing swirling around them is murky vapor and clouds.
These days, I desire a more simple life. And, I plan to start with my own flaws. Forget “rain makers,” my goal is to be a peace maker. I will fill my world with individuals who have admirable qualities, and I will attempt to emulate them.
Does that sound a bit lazy? Probably so. I”m ready to be laid back and calm, to take the path of least resistance. I want no more hurricanes or stormy personas. I want to take a nap.
There may never be a “Hurricane Adele,” and I truly hope there isn”t. But, I expect to end my life with a few friends and a few folks who think highly of me.
(Personal note to Julia Phillips: Happy birthday, fellow Virgo!)
Adele Elliott, a New Orleans native, moved to Columbus after Hurricane Katrina.
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