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" Rain before seven. Fine by eleven. " British saying
… I think I might take this quote with a pinch of salt!
This morning when I got up it was raining. After breakfast the sun was shining so I put the washing out on the line. By lunch time it was raining cats and dogs and my laundry was soaked again.
[Fun fact here: In Britain we say ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’. The French elegantly say it’s ‘like a peeing cow’. In Greece ‘it rains chair legs’. The Irish sky is ‘throwing cobblers knives’. In Norway ‘troll women’ are falling off the sky... and in Wales forget the umbrella, go for the helmet, as it’s ‘raining knives and forks’.]*
Living in Britain means we can be enjoying a morning cuppa in shorts and t-shirt, be wrapped up against the elements for a lunchtime picnic and strip off again by tea-time.
Is this oddly predictable?
Aristotle is the father of meteorology. In 340BC, without stealing anybody’s thunder, he wrote a four-volume book called “Meteorologica”. The word is interestingly derived from the Greek words logia which stands for 'to discuss' or 'study’ and meteoros, meaning ‘high up’ or ‘in the air’ (I’d say it is even very much ‘up in the air’).
I was never fluent in weather talk. When I moved to England in the 90’s I soon realised the weather was the most commonly used ice-breaker. It provides a safe topic of conversation and seems to help people overcome awkward social situations or silences. It is also a subtle way to perceive someone’s mood. The way they express themselves about the weather can tell a lot about their inner weather too.
My invitation to you this month: Explore your inner weather ⛅ Before reading further, pause, take a deep breath and tune-in:
Are you feeling foggy, sunny, stormy, cloudy, rainy, perhaps under the weather even? |
This month of September, check your inner weather! When you get up in the morning, before stepping out of bed and looking at the sky, take a quick check of your internal state and and dare to be the change you want to see in your organisation, family, community and life!
BRING GENTLENESS TO YOUR SEPTEMBER BUSYNESS
Living gently, no matter what
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References:
* And now, the weather… : A celebration of our national obsession - Book by Alison Maloney Image credit: Photo by David Marcu on Unsplash
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