Skip to main content

The Story of a Hurricane

In the midst of discovering the new title of the book, I also discovered that I should share my story of depression.  My first reaction was concern.  I was deeply involved with a group of people at the time and there were things that occurred that if I share them could potentially drag up a lot of anger and frustration and judgement, on my part and the part of those that I was with at the time.  That is not something that I want.  But then as I dreamed one night, I found how to share with out pointing fingers. 
You see, I am a survivor of Hurricane Hugo.  Most Carolinians can say that, because the hurricane made landfall at night and there was a mass exodus from the coast lands.  Because of those two things all but 21 people survived that night.  But I think what tends to go unnoticed, because of the survival is the voracity of the storm.  Hurricane Katrina which caused major destruction and death was a category 3 hurricane.  Hurricane Hugo was category 4.  Charleston, SC took a direct hit.  I grew up about 30 minutes north of Charleston, so we were not spared the brunt of that force.  Information from NOAA  says that the winds were a sustained 104mph, compared to Katrina's 87mph.  It was not a deadly storm, but it was feirce.  Now, how does that translate to my story of depression?
Just like Hurricane Hugo, it is important that you understand that this was a specific time and place, this storm is not still occuring, the conditions that I experienced are no longer there.  The circumstances that were in my life would not have the same outcome today.  And most importantly, that period in my life is something that I survived.  What I can share is my memories and recollections from that time and place in my life.  I won't be able to tell you everyone else's story, just my own.  And because it is my story, the comments will be turned off.  Through my experience I have found that it is easy to misunderstand people when we are not face to face.  Feel free to email me with your thoughts and questions, but we won't be having a public discussion about my story at this time.
So with all that, I look forward to sharing with you my struggle with walking the blue ridge.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Stories from the Kitchen: Taste and See

I celebrated my birthday last weekend. It was wonderful and the leftovers left me with a question or two. Find out what they are and how I'm currently answering them in this week's podcast. Stories from the Kitchen Season 2, Episode 2: Taste and See Notes from the episode: Taste and See by Margaret Feinberg Dad’s New York Cheesecake (from the back of a Philidelphia Cream Cheese package) 1 ⅞ cups graham cracker crumbs ¼ to ½ cup butter, melted 1 cup sugar, divided 2 lbs cream cheese (4 packs) 2 large eggs (lightly beaten) 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup sour cream Preheat oven to 450F Mix well graham crackers, 2 tbsp sugar, and enough butter that the mixture holds together. Reserve 2 tbsp for garnish. Press mixture onto bottom and sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Chill in the freezer while preparing the filling. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and cornstarch until just blended. S

Tasty Tuesday: Roasted Broccoli

I ran across this recipe on Pinterest the other day that was labeled " The Best Broccoli Of Your Life. " I normally either steam our broccoli in the microwave or saute it with olive oil and red pepper flakes on the stove top. I decided this would be something to try. I did the salt, pepper and olive oil part of the recipe. I didn't have the majority of the other ingredients. In fact, all I had was a little bit of Parmesan  It was wonderful. Not the best broccoli of my life, but honestly, it was pretty close. And if I had the lemon juice and all that jazz, it may very well be the best. What have you been eating lately?

Together is a Beautiful Place by Bailey T. Hurley

  Have you ever wanted to be a better friend or been stumped by how to make your friendships more meaningful? If so, you might want to pick up a copy of Together is a Beautiful Place. Hurley does an excellent job of sharing ways to connect with people that you know and how to easily take your relationships from surface level to deep and meaningful parts of your life. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Hurley incorporates surveys and other data to give insight into relationship building. She shares that it takes 90 hours of social interaction to consider someone a friend. When you’re only seeing each other in passing, it will take much longer than when you carve out time to specifically be with people.  Overall, Together is a Beautiful Place is an encouraging and helpful read. Exactly what I needed as I continue to make friends in life.  I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for the purpose of review. I’m never required to say nice things about books but I’m always