On Frankenstorms and us

"Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation."
Kin Hubbard

With once-again-Hurricane Sandy threatening to bathe the east coast - and, apparently, much of southern Ontario - in a delightful mix of wind, rain and mirth, I'm rather enjoying the online chatter as folks ratchet themselves into a tizzy over something over which they have no control.

I find it somewhat comforting, and more than a little quaint. Anomalous weather seems to create an automatic connector between absolute strangers, an instant means of turning an otherwise mundane, fleeting moment in the checkout line into an animated, day-brightening conversation.

Brief? Sure. Possibly forgettable? Maybe. But still, I can't help but think this is a reminder from Mother Nature to look out for those around us.

Maybe Frankenstorms have their redeeming qualities, after all.