Somewhere in my childhood, I absorbed the social conditioning that the weather was always an appropriate, if boring, topic of conversation. Maybe it was the weird Victorian/Edwardian books I read. Maybe it was an awareness that religion and politics are potential landmines. Possibly it was that I could relate to the topic more than health, the other boring topic of adult conversation.
Last week the conversation on social media was dominated by the eclipse. There are also plenty of reels, videos, and such making content about spring blooms and the back and forth of winter and spring (or as I like to call it, sprinter). Talking about the weather and astronomical events is still a default topic, generally safe. Such things are not without their controversy, but that is because of our egocentric view of the world.
I wonder if, maybe, talking about the weather might be more important than I originally thought.
I do believe that humans have an impact on their environment and there are long-term consequences for our choices and actions. Emphasis on long-term. At the same time what happens in the weather is beyond human control. And the movements of planets and stars are beyond our reach in spite of certain billionaires’ phallic rocket-building experiments.
The issue is that most people don’t think long-term. In an age of instant gratification and immediate availability, many people have lost the patience required to live in a way that is harmonious with the natural world, especially the weather. Even the fact that many people could and did travel to see the eclipse is a new phenomenon in the grand scheme of human history. Most eclipses just happened.
When Copernicus first proposed that the earth revolved around the sun, rather than the other way around it was regarded as heresy. The prevailing beliefs about the weather and the stars and planets were based on religious beliefs—and not just Christian ones. The Greeks and Romans offered sacrifices to appease the gods of wind, sea, harvest, etc. If those gods were pleased, then maybe things would work out. Across the globe, there have been rituals to summon rain or maybe prevent flooding, Prayers, sacrifices, dances, solstice celebrations, and equinoctial hauntings, all are humanity's acknowledgment that weather and seasons are beyond our control.
Observing the weather is a critical function of human survival. Where I live in Montana, we watch the signs to prepare for deep freezes and wildfires, the potential dangers. We pay attention to the thickness of the ice when we need to protect our gardens from frosts, the thickening and thinning of animal coats, and the migrations of birds. All of these things are indications of the changes of seasons and what we must do to keep ourselves safe from danger.
When I visit my grandparents along the coast, they talk to me about how to watch the rise and fall of the tide, where the safety zone is in case of a tsunami, and what various sea creatures’ signs indicate about safety and danger.
I have not spent enough extended periods of time in other parts of the United States to know the signs, but I have been enjoying following different naturalists online to see what they say. No matter where we live, paying attention to the weather is essential. Yes, sometimes the weather is boring to talk about, and we have the means of escaping extremes with A/C and heaters. The past few generations of Americans may not have had to be so dependent on the whims of weather to have food and shelter, as previous ancestors.
However, it is because of the work of those ancestors we have the privilege of safety in the storms. (And just as a reminder, not all people are in safe houses, with full bellies.) Now it is our turn. There is upheaval in the world, and humans have impacted nature in devastating ways. Paved roads are more convenient for travel, but they do raise the overall temperature of the environment. Dams may give us electricity but they also change the landscape that animals depend on. The introduction of non-native species to lakes and parks decimates native flora and fauna. Farmland is being eaten up by quick-built neighborhoods in a desire to make fast cash. Titans of industry focus on filling their coffers now, come what may to future generations.
The ceaseless grinding of capitalism will take what it wants, and to hell with the consequences. Now it is my generation and that of my children, and possibly their children who must face that hell. It is a hell of human making, and the way I see it the only way to heal is to start listening to the weather and talking about it.
You may believe in a young earth or an old one, a big bang, or creation by some higher power. How it all started is less important than what we can do today. When a society is focused on domination and conquest (think of leaders like Trump, Putin, Stalin, Hitler, the British crown, Genghis Khan, Roman Ceasars, Alexander the Great, and Constantine, to name a few) destruction is inevitable and almost desirable. If they could control the weather they would. On a smaller scale, consider how bitter many become if the weather ruins their plans. Why not instead make plans to enjoy whatever the weather gives you? Nature is not at its finest display when the sun shines, the temperature is 70 degrees and there is a light breeze.
Of course, I spend more time indoors when it is colder and outdoors when it is nice, but I appreciate the different gifts different seasons give me. I am learning about how to plant native grasses to combat the sod and crabgrass lawns. I am following stories about undoing dams and rivers returning to their natural trajectories. And I talk about the weather, because it’s not boring. It might be one of the most important topics to discuss.
For the Ears
As certain female pop, rock, or other genres of music, become mothers, they have begun to write songs for their children, sometimes including those children on their albums. I have gathered a few such songs here.
For the Eyes
One of my favorite parenting books was about the Swede’s perspective on weather.
Last year it took me several months to get through Braiding Sweetgrass which gives many beautiful insights into the importance of knowing your environment. I hear that this version is more manageable.
Wintering provides some wonderful insights into the power of seasons in our lives.
For the Taste Buds
As I wait for the last frost (probably not for about 4-6 weeks) I have begun to start seeds indoors. The growing season in Montana is quite short, so we extend it indoors. My eldest son wants to try to grow a square watermelon, and my youngest son helps me with all things garden-related and is excited about tomatoes and pumpkins. The three-year-old picked a packet of white radish seeds, clinging to her choice with a tenacity that usually is reserved for cookies. My eldest daughter is counting on having dandelion jelly to give as teacher gifts in a couple of months.
Anticipation does wonders for heightening the experience of eating does it not?
May this week bring joy to your senses and your soul.