Weathering the Storm

Writer toughness at 80

Water in our backyard, house air conditioner on left

Two massive storms in two weeks! Time to get outta Florida? Time to consider the consequences of staying? Time to let go of the forever home?

I just turned 80, how many more storms do I have? So What? I’d leave if I was 50? The news this week interviewed an 80+ yr. old couple who spent the night in their garage because the rest of the house was flooded. They’re staying. But then, he’s a marine.

I can’t compare myself to a marine but as a writer I’ve had a lot of rejections and that toughens a soul. Can it thicken my hide enough to bear up for another storm and another?

We went to the Comfort Inn for this one—nice name, has a ring to it. Everything was great until the morning after the storm when the intercom system started blaring:

This is an emergency! You must evacuate the building! Do not use the elevator, use the stairs!

And just when you thought the storm was over, it’s just beginning in the Comfort Inn. The hotel is packed with people trying to get away from the hurricane. Now the hurricane is from within the hotel.

We grabbed everything we could see. All power was off and there was no emergency lighting. When we got to the stairs it was a full-on panic. We were on the 3^rd floor of a 4-floor building, so it was a slow-go getting out. When we got to the car and started to calm down, we realized all the things that were still back in the room. With the emergency siren blaring, Jerry went back into the building.

I paced the parking lot. Then as quickly as it started, the siren stopped. Ten minutes later, Jerry strolled out of the front door after clearing out our room and dropping the keys at the front desk.

“What was it?” I asked.

“Someone inside said it was a false alarm.”

Hurricane Milton was never going to be a false alarm. As it churned up the west coast of Florida, we held our breath as it grazed land. What no one had predicted were the 38 tornadoes that spawned across the state. The east coast was severely damaged by the twisters. Hard to believe a west coast storm could do the damage it did to the east coast. A travesty for those who fled the storm from west to east.

Evacuation in Florida is a nightmare. The interstates become parking lots. They were able to use the berm on I-75 to make a 4^th lane but in order to get people out, both the north and south lanes need to be one-way—north. The only traffic heading south are the utility trucks and they could be diverted to US 41. How much common sense does that take?

Well we “weathered” another one and it’s only October. They’ve extended hurricane season to December. So, toughen up you writers and let those rejection letters do their job. And keep tuned to the Weather Channel.

Thank you for subscribing to Get Gutsy. I appreciate your support and encouragement. Let me know in the COMMENTS where you live and what natural disasters you face.

Remember, there’s no expiration on dreams,

Trish