by Steve Sakiyama –
One day my mother got lost while driving to an appointment (this was long before GPS, or maps for that matter). When she asked a stranger for directions, he pointed to where she needed to go while singing an old military song at the top of his lungs: “OVER THERE … OVER THERE … .” My mother laughed so hard she could barely drive.
Today we have GPS to solve our directional challenges, but it has its downsides. GPS can mean Going Perpetually aStray, where it wrongly directs us to Aunt Ethel’s rutabaga patch in Cleveland. Oops, recalculating. Although it’s a helpful convenience, if used exclusively, we miss all the rich entertainment that comes with giving and receiving directions from real people.
For example, while driving in Maui, a local gave me excellent directions that sounded like this: “Take the Honoapiilani Highway to Hamakuapoko Road, turn right on Kalanianole Avenue, then left on either Kaupakalua Street or Kaahumanu Avenue. You can’t miss it.” “Mahalo,” I replied, driving away while lost in a sea of vowels.
Sometimes the person giving directions isn’t sure where the location is, but they try anyway. This often happens when I have a pressing need for directions to a public washroom. “Go three lights and turn right, then go 12 lights and turn left. No, that’s wrong. Cut through the alley over there and turn left where Sylvia’s mother used to live, it should be there. Hold it, wrong again. Go straight, then swim across the river until you see the fifth dock … Yes, that’s it.” (Thanks, but I don’t swim.)
Many people can’t remember street names, so the directions sound like “Go over-yonder, just a hoot and a holler down the road.” (Over yonder? Where are we, Oklahoma?). Or they say: “It’s a few clicks away as the crow flies between thither and yon.” (A few clicks? Am I listening for crickets? And who are thither and yon?)
Speaking of going from A to B, the horizontal movement of air is called “wind.” It has both speed and direction. Wind speed tells us how fast the air is moving, but the meaning of the term “wind direction” can be ambiguous. To clarify, the reported wind direction means the wind is blowing from that direction, not toward that direction. For example, a North wind means that the wind is blowing from the North. Sometimes media weather broadcasts use the term “winds out of the North” instead of just “North wind” to clear up any confusion.
Where is the long-range forecast pointing us to for October? Looking ahead, chances are it will be warmer than normal. For precipitation, the outlook shows no preference as to whether it will be wetter, or drier, than normal.
This month, when you feel the winds of life pushing hard in too many directions, it’s time for a recalculation. Reset your internal compass by discovering all that October has to offer. Lose yourself in the wonder of vivid colours, the scent of fallen leaves, and the warmth of golden sunshine that plays across the landscape. Feel the crisp air and enjoy the crunch of fall apples. Celebrate the joy of Thanksgiving with those in your circle, including Aunt Ethel from Cleveland. Everything is right here in glorious abundance, just waiting to be found.
~ Weatherwit
