Surviving the Storm

Hanging On is a Skill Set

Leaping lizards! Or should I say gripping lizards. On the Caribbean island of Dominica, lizards appear to have adapted remarkably fast in the face of adversity. Their ability to grip and hang on has become stronger. And not just a little — ten times stronger. Lizard superpowers!

It happened fast. Scientists reason it is a drastic response to 180 mph winds of a devastating hurricane in 2016. Lizards born after the storm were different than the ones before the storm. Now their super strong grips allow them to hold on to rocks and perches during high winds.

I am picturing those brave little lizards turning their backs to the wind and clinging for dear life while the storm rages past.

On a more modest scale, we have all been reinventing ourselves in the face of challenging events. Extraordinary life changes have become almost ordinary. And I am thinking of so many friends and family members who are moving forward on their own reinventions.

A move across the country. Selling everything and buying a canal barge in France. Moving to Greece. Starting a blog. Working from home. Freelancing. Scrapping the old and building the new. And yes, even Glen and me, waking up one morning with the decision to buy a boat and travel a 7,000 mile loop around the eastern United States.

So, even if surviving 2020 does not give us superpowers, we know how to hang on. And what to let go of to make it to the far shore. And from there, it is impossible to guess how exciting the future can be.