Flooding occurs regularly in my neighborhood. It’s one of the disadvantages of living on south shore of Long Island at the beach. It just happens and you have to expect it.
Sometimes, I wake up and get caught in the house for the day or the 2 to 3 hours it may take to recede. Other times, I’ve come home only to find I cannot get home. Does this sound normal? Well for us, it is.
The flooding has taught me a few things, the least of which is patience. There is nothing you can do but wait. I have learned that a movie is a great alternative when I cannot go home. When I’ve had my little pupper Zeffy with me, I visit friends with dog friendly homes. This has resulted in surprise visits to people nearby (with no flooding). You really know who your friends are when you have to show up with a dog in tow to wait out the flood.
You have to learn planning when you live in a flood zone. In the beginning, my neighbors were kind enough to give us a heads up on the flood although initially, we did not heed their advice. I thought, how bad can it be, a little water? Well, at times, this place looks more like Holland than New York! All we need is a few tulips and windmills.
You also need to realize that cars must be underwashed if you drive them through any part of the flooding. This is salt water folks and the flooding can permanently damage your car.
Flooding has so many parallels in life. I think sometimes God is telling me to slow down, quiet my mind, and get back to what is important. He’s also reminding me that I’m not in charge and I need to heed this. Too often in my mind, I have felt the weight of the world on my shoulders as if I had the ability to make it turn on its axis. I am just another person on this planet, not the chief engineer. So guilt be gone (easier said than done…)! I am not in charge.
I had dinner with some wonderful women last night (and lunch with another amazing girlfriend as well; what a fabulous day). Yesterday was an “estrogen day” for me which I don’t get enough of. I have not had enough experience enjoying the company of my woman friends and I am correcting this fact everyday now. I make sure I write to my friends by email, call them, and make dates with them as much as possible.
Women do not make enough time for themselves and now that I am semi-retired, I not only see the need but the desire to spend more and more time with other women. Some are younger and some are older but they are all magnificent I assure you.
The flood makes you slow down and think. I suppose I am enjoying the fact that God has forced me to do this. Keep the floods coming, I am hoping to stay home today and putter around the house before it recedes and forces me out the door… to do something else.
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