Blowin' in the Wind

I am usually not a very big fan of the wind. In my experience, wind can do one of two things. When I am at home in Irvine, the only kind of wind that I get is the dusty Santa Ana drafts that blow through southern California every so often. These dry and arid breezes zip through my neighborhood, chapping my lips and blowing leaves around the yard. They don’t last long, and the only notable thing about them is that they provide a slight change in the mild and invariable climate. The other kind of wind that I know is a freezing mountain wind. This type of blustering current can chill me to the bone on a snowy day or force me to retreat early from a mountaintop vista. A little bit of rain or snow in the mountains is often refreshing and pleasant, but the wind is the kicker. When wind comes along, it ruins a good day of snowboarding or a hike through the woods.

But tropical wind is different. Tropical wind is a welcome friend that swings through the stifling heat and brings a much needed respite from the sweltering humidity. With no wind, the wet stagnant air seeps into your pores and covers you in a roasting blanket of miserable heat. A calm and clear day is often the worst kind of weather in tropical areas. No clouds to cover the sun and no wind to keep the air circulating creates a blistering sauna that sucks your energy out and leaves you as a lazy blob melting into the moist ground.

When the wind comes, a gust of vitality sweeps through the islands and animates the peaceful equilibrium. The palm trees sway their fluttering fronds on top of the wavering stilts that lean over the shoreline. The sea stirs and small white crests of waves slap against the oncoming breeze. Every animal and person is roused from their slumbering existence and energy flows through their veins.

One of my favorite things to do is to stand on the dock with my arms outstretched and stare into the face of the wind. It invigorates my spirit and provides a rare sensation….coolness. Wind is god’s air conditioning. We have no electricity here, so that means no fans, no air conditioning, no ice water, nothing cold at all. The only times that I have felt a glimmer of coldness have been when wind has been combined with wetness. I no longer fear or avoid the wind, now I have learned to embrace it with open arms and sweaty palms. Because after all, we all know that “the answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind