It was going to happen sooner or later. And I was sure it was gonna be me. I completely forgot yesterday was my turn to send a newsletter. Actually, I didn’t forget. I thought about it in the morning, at 5 am, when I woke up. But then the day followed such a weird pattern because of this completely bizarre weather we had that the newsletter slipped out of my mind.
What’s the right thing to do in this situation? You just adapt to the situation and you try to do your best. I’m typing this at 5 in the morning. It’s the 29th for me, but it’s still the 28th for Cody. Thank you, timezones.
Outside the window, it’s still dark. My watch is saying the sun will rise at 6:23. Summer is definitely on its way out. Right now, everything is quiet. A moment ago, heavy rain was pouring down. We’re supposed to get a lot of that today, a gift from hurricane Erin that is managing to make its way through parts of Europe. Never thought we would be having to deal with hurricanes here in Italy, and yet here we are. I guess it’s not technically a hurricane anymore. I saw it being labelled ex-hurricane, but still.
The weather is definitely changing; no need to argue about that. We can discuss why that’s the case, who’s to blame—as if that matters—and what does that mean, but the fact that it is changing is undeniable, and the only thing we can do is to adapt. Because that’s the thing I love about nature at this scale: there’s no bending it to our will. Nature will do what it wants, and we’ll have to deal with whatever comes our way. And maybe we’ll survive just fine, that’s hard to say. If there’s one thing we definitely are, as a species, is ingenious.
But nature will run its course, no matter what. Left alone, it will reclaim everything we built. Doesn’t matter how much concrete we pour, how much steel we use to reinforce it, or how much we pollute the environment around it. Nature will find a way to thrive when left alone. And to me, that’s a comforting thought. Even the most unexpected places can be reclaimed by nature.
The other day, while out on the trail, I was looking at the woods and was reflecting on how overgrown they now are. Winters are no longer all that cold here in my corner of the world. Nature no longer takes a quick winter break, and plants, especially invasive ones, now grow all year long. Another sign that things are changing, another indication that we’ll have to adapt to a new normal, somehow.
And who knows, maybe things will change again. Because that’s another thing Nature has always taught: everything is a cycle. And maybe the end of this cycle is “just” gonna be us succumbing to Nature. Only time will tell, I guess.
The time is now 5:29 am. I see thunders outside the window. It’s gonna be a long day.
— M