The Wind

The wind was stout tonight. No stouter than many nights, but much stouter than others. But it roared and hummed.  It occurred to me that the reason the wind makes these noises has less to do with its velocity and more to do with many other factors.

Some factors include the direction of the wind. But more important, some of the factors that effect the sound that the wind produces includes the obstacles around which or through which it has to traverse.

The wind takes on a life of its own: It might be strong enough to move objects that we had no idea were that movable. It might move objects to new heights that we did not realize those objects could reach. It might be persistent enough that it blows sand and dust for miles and miles, transforming the landscape by the movement of particles.  It might be strong enough that it blows flames, cinders and embers to perpetuate wild fires that take down everything in their paths.

The wind is powerful. People who do not live in the wide open plains do not develop a concept for the strength and persistence of the wind. Understanding the power of the wind, the persistence of its force, the destructiveness it can call up is part of learning to live in West Texas, or the Plains of America.

The wind is a companion in the South Plains. But it can be an enduring hardship and a bitter enemy.  Learning to live with, appreciate and respect the wind is one of the hardest lessons for a West Texas transplant.