The Island Makes the Weather

The ocean view from a Maui beach often shows near-clear skies. Turn around, and you'll likely see cloud groups forming over the higher mountain peaks on the inner parts of the island. The ocean temperature is steady, while the land temperature changes based on time of day, rotational point around the sun and axis, and trade winds dancing with the mountains and valleys. The mountains interrupt and twist the path of the winds creating clouds and thus precipitation. Storms will brew above landmasses while the surrounding ocean is covered in a blanket of clear blue sky. The island creates its own weather. My thesis for the day is that we, like the island, create our own emotional weather patterns.

If our peaks and valleys are our choices, if trade winds are those life experiences that come and go just out of reach of control, then our rainfall, storms, and sunny days are a result of our dancing with life. The storm paths that follow the Sun's seasonal shifting are the traumas and blessings that seemingly come out of nowhere but are gauranteed by the mere fact that existing is risky. Because of the mountains, the islands receive up to 15 times the rainfall compared to the nearby ocean. These mountains are our triggers, our successes, our traumas, our greatest fears and desires creating the collection and outpour of emotions we experience.

They say if the islands were flat and uniform, there would be little to no climate variance and Hawaii would reflect the temperature-static and wind-regulated seas. One is equally humbled and empowered when the scale of responsibility (versus blaming the weather, chance, God, the Universe, luck, someone else, etc) is tipped toward this notion that we, like the island, create our own experience and response to our dances with life.