Weather.

As I walked into the meal plan place (I call it a meal plan place because it is not a cafeteria and I don't want to use the actual name in some odd attempt to pretend that my blog doesn't reveal any personal information leading to my whereabouts, although dining hall may have been more fitting,) it was maybe a little cloudy, and warm. As I left with a takeout box of food in one hand and a cup of apple, orange, and cranberry juice (I created this mixture from the drink fountain) (I misuse parentheses) in the other, the wind began to blow. Luckily, I was walking into the wind, so it blew my hair away from my face so that it trailed behind me like a banner declaring my presence to the world. That's how I felt. In this gust of wind, I realized, "It will rain later." I could tell by the wind. Maybe it's the smell of rain coming, or maybe the humid feel of the wind. Or perhaps the presence of ominous clouds--I don't recall ever thinking the wind will bring rain when the sky is so overwhelmingly blue and cloudless that it's almost painful--but I knew rain was imminent.

Either way, Floridians have a knack for understanding the weather. Other state people might, too, but I wouldn't know about them. I just know in Florida one has to be extremely educated about the chances of rain and thunderstorms. Florida thunderstorms can appear whenever. They defy the laws of weather. They may appear in the morning, the afternoon, in the dead of night, any time, any season, anywhere. We are not the Sunshine State. In fact, I think Florida is where the weather decides to play tricks. "Hmm, I'm bored. Let's throw a thunderstorm at Florida. While it's sunny. Figure that one out." It must be like the ultimate meteorology test, predicting Florida's weather. Think you're good at what you do? Spend a week in Florida. Best of luck, meteorologists.

In addition to being a Floridian, I am a lifegaurd, which also requires knowledge of thunderstorms. Pools and lightning do not mix well, so I hear. As a camp counselor, we were a long walk from the pool, and would spend the day debating whether or not we could go, often times turning back as we were journeying towards the pool. Where I work now (still attempting to protect my whereabouts) during the summers as a lifegaurd, the residents live a good 50 yards from the pool. As such, we take closer risks with the weather, while still placing the safety of the swimmers at top priority. Usually by lunch we know if we can make it a full day. The summer days start out blue and cloudless. By lunch, clouds begin to build. The amount of clouds and the puffiness tells us the chances of rain. The more the clouds seem to be exploding upwards, the better chance of rain. Then clouds become more frequent and gray, and then you can see the horizon getting blurred in the distance because of approaching rain. Then there's maybe rumbles of thunder. At the first crash-like thunder, or any flash of light, all the residents are rushed from the pool and taken home immediately. Sometimes we close the pool before the last swim session, sometimes we make it the entire hour before the storm reaches us. The point is, we have to know the weather to keep the swimmers safe.

The weather here, in Northwestern Florida, however, is some odd hybrid of real weather and Florida weather. It's more predictable, it's as humid as farther south, and as cold as farther north. Terrible, really. But last winter it was very predictable. It would rain. Then it would be cold and sunny for three days, with each day getting warmer until jackets weren't necessary. Then, on the fourth day, it would rain. This cycle repeated itself a good many times. I liked that cycle. I knew what to expect, and it never reached the freezing temperatures that this year reached. Maybe the wind today was the first sign that this cycle has restarted. Or maybe it's just some other trick being thrown at Florida.

But, no matter what the weather the previous day, each day starts new again. Maybe it'll be cloudy, maybe it'll be sunny. Despite what the weather throws at you, it cannot stop the next day from starting, for the weather to play out as it will. But the weather cannot stop the earth from moving, the sun from rising, or the chance to being each brand new day as you will. So, no matter what the literal or metaphorical weather in your life, take comfort in knowing that it won't stop the sunrise; tomorrow is inevitable, sun or clouds, so seize the opportunity to make the most of each new day.