Today I was taking a break with a coworker and I asked if he had ridden his bike into work today. He said that he had and asked if I thought it would rain. I replied that it was very likely we would get rain this afternoon and in fact I felt that it could be storming shortly. It had been warm and sunny all day with scattered clouds but they were starting to build a bit. National Weather Service had posted a 10% chance for showers and thunderstorms.
I am Oglala Lakota and I get asked about weather all the time. Some even ask if I do rain dances and such. NO Lakotas were hunter gatherers, not farmers, so rainfall, although important, was not so important as to create a ceremony to encourage its arrival. I usually respond to this by saying, "If I want to make it rain I just wash my car."
When I was 5 years old I was struck by lightning. From my point of view it was not much of a big deal. I was inside a building in Stillwater MN and holding onto the door when a bolt hit the structure. I did not see or hear anything other than a woman in a red dress, who was also holding onto an other, door fly backwards. My mother and others around me reported that sparks flew from my hands as I was blown off my feet to land flat on my back.
An event such as this has great significance with Lakota people. I have not only dreamed of but been touched by wakinyanpi, thunder beings. Those that dream of or are touched by the wakinyanpi usually become Heyoka, sacred clowns. Heyoka are considered very powerful and some people even fear them. One of the primary characteristics of a Heyoka is that they do everything backwards and act out the ridiculousness of situations. They are carnival mirrors that reflect everything back in an exaggerated and reversed way. I am not a Heyoka, I have chosen to not follow that path. I am however severely right left dyslexic. I do not know if the lightning strike caused it but It could be a factor.
I can not control the weather. I can not make it rain or storm on command but I think I understand weather. I know that lightning and thunder is not created by a giant bird but charged particles in the atmosphere and that the heat generated by the resulting spark creates thunder. It is fascinating stuff but rather dry, the idea of wakinyanpi is more fun. I understand weather because I have taken the time to observe it.
Not only do we rush around so much that we do not pay attention but we also seal ourselves away from the world in our houses and cars. We rely on the news or radio to get our weather reports. It has been a about 45 minutes since my friend asked me about rain, the sky is now dark. A look at the local weather site shows the storms building over the mountains to the west and moving North East. It is not raining yet but it is only a matter of time.
Anyone can learn the weather. Go outside spend a few minutes take note of how the air feels, what direction the wind is from, the temperature, what direction are the clouds moving? If you pay attention you will learn the patterns of weather. No one is right 100% of the time and you can also use the national weather reports.... How does the map look today? Has it ever looked like that before? To know the weather you must observe it, feel it, and remember it. Before long you to can give the meteorologists a personal run for the money.
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Ooh, I love to do this. I can usually tell if it's going to rain or not. Often, I''m disappointed, because I adore a good thunderstorm and they like to dissipate right as they get to us, darn them.
ReplyDeleteIt's in the feel of the air, the way the sky looks, and things like flies congregating, birds flying low to the ground (due to pressure changes) and singing at odd times of the day, and the way it smells outside. You just have to pay attention to nature's signs. They are there for everyone to read.