Ota's Tales

Now Nature Speaks

The storm reminds me of an angry man who spits out bad words just to get rid of his anger. Didn't you ever say in a big storm that God is angry? And just like a man who is angry and cursing, this is what our storm can look like. Whether it comes unexpectedly or we anticipate it long in advance, the course is usually similar. It differs in size, of course. I'm sure all of you readers are aware of that. But do you also know that the power of the storm can be changed by all of us? Scientists and people who demand facts, dates and laws will laugh at this statement, but we can laugh at them. Now please pay close attention.

In your mind, imagine some angry person - any one. Next, imagine that you are the one who made him so angry. What happens next, I don't envy you at all. Hear that? It rages and storms. But cheer up, when it storms, there will be peace again. Its rages will pass, the clouds will disperse, its mind will be clear again. Only you can be wet and cranky from its rain, its lightning, its deafening thunder, if you couldn't hide well from its inclement weather.

Now imagine that it will boil in you, too. There's always trouble. When two go at each other, it always ends badly, unless at least one of them is sensible. And a sensible person avoids conflict as much as possible. In short, if you heckle a stormtrooper, provoke him, sow the wind, reap the storm.

In these two examples, I wanted to illustrate that you have the power to influence the other. You have the power to influence the weather. It depends on your attitude. The next time you get into a situation like this, think about whether you have enough energy for someone like this. Because if a storm were to come from someone like this, you could always hide somewhere and wait for it to pass.

You can never shorten a storm. You can only make it stronger and longer. The accumulated energy just has to be discharged somewhere. You know yourself, what happens when you contain your anger. Once you slip, you lose control, later you can only regret everything. How much this situation reminds me of the massive storms that come after long periods of drought. But now, finally, a story, so as not to upset you with just stupid theorizing.

I'm not going to start with something usual like "Once upon a time, there was," but "It happened quite recently." It's a simple story, without magic or sorcery, a story like any other you might have lived. So imagine yourself as the main character of this story, or at least a minor one. This story, though it may not seem like it at first glance, is about yourself.

It happened quite recently. There's no need to count back the years, because the numbers don't tell us much anyway. No. Now it's the eyes that saw it all, the ears that heard it all, and the body that felt it all. It was a hot summer's day. The sun loomed over everyone's heads, and there was no sign that the long drought would be broken that day. Children were swinging on swings, dog walkers were walking their dogs, and there was laughter in the street, the murmur of human voices, the clatter of shoes, and the song of birds chatting from the treetops across town. The playground was lively. The loud voices of children playing mingled with those of parents standing and watching, nervously watching their offspring. Others stayed quiet away from the bustle, perhaps taking a rest that was not afforded them at work.

In such a rush, it was no wonder that no one noticed when all the birds in the area suddenly went silent. Only the more attentive saw that they began to fly differently than usual across the sky to gather and fly away to hide somewhere safe. Many of the attentive ones did not have to think long about anything, just the movements of the birds were making them uneasy. Something was in the air, though the sun continued to shine relentlessly, and only a few tiny clouds hung in the sky.

And so, like the animals, some of the people who were also heading for safety - their houses - began to drift away. But they were few and far between. Among them were the old, or the withdrawn, and the reserved, who knew very well what the sudden changes signalled. Their departure was as inconspicuous as their own persons, and therefore the others, the less observant ones, continued their activities in peace.