A Wind Called Khalid

For Dani

Morning quiet in the desert.

No no……….something is wrong, there is a shrieking. A moaning. The world is complaining.

Its 5 am. (Please don’t ask). Its normally sunrise and I stand at the window checking the day. Except today hasn’t come.
Outside its pitch black and moaning, yep……..moaning it is.

Mornings generally are not kind to me. After the alarm intrudes, I have little routines that I follow until I start to come alive.

This generally occurs after at least three espressos.

However this morning its just not happening so as I stumble out to my car, I am almost levelled by the wind in the darkness moaning with a thickness to its voice.

This is a Shamal.

A sandstorm. Quite a phenomena. Saudi snow. Particles of fine sand find every part of you exposed and settle in. The sky is black.

The Shamal is a herald. It sweeps the desert clean at the end of the heavy aired winter. It renews the connection with the vastness of the open desert for the Bedouin, the traditional Saudi people. For them the desert and its desolate emptiness is a pure ecosystem and frankly its an awe inspiring sight to me in all its stark immensity.

I have witnessed much weather phenomena in my travels. From earthquakes to floods and tsunamis. Massive surf and minus 60 C cold with driving snow and I am always blown away by these weather events at how powerful Mother Earth is and how adaptable her creatures can be to survive her extremes. Humans included.

Local adaptations of clothing and shelter, the trade mark Saudi headscarf and felt tent being the two most useful here, demonstrate a people who are still close to the earth, reliant on her for life. No sand intrudes through the fine mesh of the woven clothed tent and the headscarf whilst also a tribal marking is ideal to prevent sand blasting of your face.

Adaptation is the key.

In the west, we try to control not adapt.

We build structures based on commercial viability and constantly attempt to alter our living spaces to effect climate convenience and so called ease of movement.

Only poor people have to “suffer” the elements and walk.

The energy costs and garbage created of improperly used material has reached incredible proportions. Fashion dictates useful lifecycles.

Its well reported but do you listen?

No wonder we are now fearful of global warming and its reputed adverse weather. We have lost the ability to deal with change and to survive and adapt to our home. We seem to think we are the masters and the earth should do our bidding.

Amazing arrogance really.

I would postulate that its not global weather change we should fear. Its our inability to be in unison with our environment that’s our real problem. Modern man has become too insulated and this will be our downfall as we continue to isolate ourselves from the earth.

Its a matter of balance.

Go outside while you can. Walk barefoot on the earth. Feel it between your toes, revel in it. Its not dirty, its earthy. So should we all be.

There is no bad or good weather. Get real. Its weather, its where you live. It has cycles to which we need to be attuned and to which we should adapt and celebrate.

For celebrations, try solstices instead of fake religious events. They are natural and a signal of time to change tempo. Its nature not voodoo. Weather is not a threat that needs to be combated its what drives our world and sustains us.

I wear my headscarf and walk on into the Shamal, marvelling at its power and being thankful that I have had the chance to be its witness.