The split personality of our mother
I was riding along a gorgeously remote rural road in the Whanganui district called Turakina Valley Road recently and marvelling at the destruction caused by recent flooding. I saw fence wires encased in the debris they had arrested, trees splintered, broken logs jammed in uncomfortable embraces, mud slips, and gravelled sections of road that had been stripped naked of its bitumen.
It caused me to wonder at the enigma of water. On the one hand, it can be playful, scenic, life-giving, cooling, and cleansing. On the other hand, it can be immensely destructive. It has a real Jekyll and Hyde personality. Your best friend who can turn on you and become your worst enemy.
The ocean can be gloriously fun to splash around in, yet it has claimed many lives. This is in part due to peoples’ overconfidence, ignorance, or stupidity (or combination of) and also due to the seductive appeal of those playful waves that hide their danger under a pretty white cloak of bubbles.
Other elements have similar contrasts. The sun can be warming and illuminating, giver of vitamin D, grower of plants, revealer of amazing vistas. On the other hand, it can fry you to a crisp, kick start cancer, cause drought and famine, and make Aucklanders want to plumb into the Waikato River for their water.
The wind can be gentle and cooling, an endless source of energy, allow billionaires to play sport, and dry your washing in a jiffy. On the other hand, it can steal your trampoline, cut your power, close roads, spread fire, and destroy your brolly.
This reflection led me to think about how this is analogous to people and companies. I have met people who are your best friend – until it doesn’t suit them. And it can be the same with companies. A large insurance company springs to mind. We were best of buddies when I signed up, but when it came to a legitimate car claim, they did everything in their power to weasel out of their obligations. Bastards. I am in the process of transferring our insurance to another company with who we had a wonderful experience. They looked to find reasons to pay, whereas the other company looked for reasons not to pay. Bastards. (I won’t State who they are.)
At least we can distance ourselves from friends, colleagues, and companies if they have dual personalities. But with the elements, we have little choice. And I kinda like that we can’t control them when they choose to express the Hyde side of their character. Humans are a bunch of control freaks so I find it perversely satisfying that we are still farting against thunder when it comes to mother nature. We are not masters of the planet, we are transient inhabitants of her world. We just have to enjoy the Jekyll, and weather the Hyde. She da boss!
