Storm in a Heel

Hello High Heelers

The summer storms in our beautiful city of Johannesburg have just begun. For those of you who have never been to this city I will do my best to describe the storms that mark the beginning of our hot season …

It begins with the darkening of the sky. The clouds slowly start to turn shades of deep grey and purple as though they are already bruised from the coming onslaught. A shadow falls over the city and our local street dwellers quickly take cover leaving the city deserted – prepared for Mother Nature’s vicious cleansing ritual.   

A faint rolling of thunder begins to build as the wind picks up – whipping trees, newspapers and sand into a mix of dusty chaos. The sound builds and soon bright flashes of fire set the sky alight. The lightening spreads generously across the air in branches like fiery trees growing nowhere. It cracks and smashes and beats the clouds with intense, noisy fury.

Then the water begins to fall in heavy beating African rhythms. Our rain drops are like no other drops I have felt before. They pelt painfully onto the dry earth – hurtling themselves towards the city streets, homes, shanty towns and buildings. Any unfortunate soul who finds themself an obstacle in the water’s path is simply drenched within a matter of minutes. The few caught in the chaos run for shelter or simply give into Mother Nature and concede drenched defeat. The storm goes on for minutes, or hours. It decides when it ends. We have no control of it.

You know, the Joburg storms remind me of tough times in our lives. We often focus on the emotion and drama of these times, we feel like it will never end and we allow ourselves to feel depressed and helpless. We don’t recognise the beauty that reveals itself in our darkest moments – like flashes of lightening; we are hit by remarkable insight. We ignore the fact that the rain washes away the old, makes way for the new and is a necessity for growth.

High Heelers, storms prepare us for the next chapter. You know, when I started my new job last year (yes – it’s no longer ‘new’!) I was confronted by the storm of an unfamiliar (and very powerful) boss, Natalie Maroun. She has become an amazing continual force of nature, which has endured to mould, shape and grow me in ways that I never imagined.

Storms remind us of the power of nature and of the power of our own humanity, our strength and our survival spirit. Next time you experience a storm, try to appreciatively endure the experience, rather than wish it over. Allow tough times to teach you lessons about yourself that will bring you great rewards. Revere the moments of beauty in your darkest times. Allow the power of the most electrifying night to reveal itself.

Sigh! Ok – so I’m getting a little ‘heavy’ today – and not in a whale-like way either. But sometimes we need a little shaking up. Sometimes we need to pull off our heels, massage our feet and prepare for some blisters! May I encourage you to weather your bruises gracefully this week, as you stand tall, no matter the weather? Have a good one.

Cheers,
Jo