This week has been a special kind of challenge for me. The confluence of the cat, the keyboard of my lap top computer, and my first hot cup of coffee proved that not all three things could exist in the same space at the same time.
The end result?
The
I did not get to drink my coffee.
The cat ran off.
My 5 year old much loved computer is getting replaced sooner than I expected - in 2 WEEKS!
I've spent a few days feeling very lost. I use my computer to write. I have to write to do my job. I like to write. I like to write on my computer where everything works and I don't have to think about it.
When I have to learn a new way to write (currently on an iPad mini), everything is thrown into chaos. TOTAL CHAOS!
My files are on the hard drive, lovingly salvaged by my husband the Mac Guru. I am forever grateful he's here to help me in my time of crisis. But they are on an antique Mac Air. So I have to learn how to use the old fashioned track pad. I must remember how to be patient when something takes weeks to load. I must embrace my inner zen and not lose my cool when something I spent hours writing can't be saved easily.
So what does this have to do with adapting to climate change?
Simple.
I'm painfully aware of how much I depend on rituals that are so minute I don't even recognize them until they are gone. The sense of disarray resulting from having to use a different set of tools to write with has pushed me way outside of my comfort zone.
Climate change will throw our routines out of whack.
When ports can't function due to storm surges, when droughts, invasive fungus, or civil unrest makes it harder and harder to get my beloved Tanzanian Peaberry coffee, I will feel it.
When floods wipe out the routes I usually travel to get to the grocery store because bridges have been neglected for years, I will feel it.
When the water from my kitchen tap becomes unsafe to drink because drought has led to water sources reaching dangerous levels of pollutants, I will feel it.
None of these scenarios are insurmountable. But they throw off a routine.
And we have to learn to adapt.
Today, I'll be honest, if I am feeling this challenged by a seemingly minor change in my routin, I wonder how well I will adapt to climate change myself?
A few clever fixes, knowing how to adapt to the crisis has let me keep working, even with a few inconveniences. Sort of. This time...
The end result?
The
I did not get to drink my coffee.
The cat ran off.
My 5 year old much loved computer is getting replaced sooner than I expected - in 2 WEEKS!
I've spent a few days feeling very lost. I use my computer to write. I have to write to do my job. I like to write. I like to write on my computer where everything works and I don't have to think about it.
When I have to learn a new way to write (currently on an iPad mini), everything is thrown into chaos. TOTAL CHAOS!
My files are on the hard drive, lovingly salvaged by my husband the Mac Guru. I am forever grateful he's here to help me in my time of crisis. But they are on an antique Mac Air. So I have to learn how to use the old fashioned track pad. I must remember how to be patient when something takes weeks to load. I must embrace my inner zen and not lose my cool when something I spent hours writing can't be saved easily.
So what does this have to do with adapting to climate change?
Simple.
I'm painfully aware of how much I depend on rituals that are so minute I don't even recognize them until they are gone. The sense of disarray resulting from having to use a different set of tools to write with has pushed me way outside of my comfort zone.
Climate change will throw our routines out of whack.
When ports can't function due to storm surges, when droughts, invasive fungus, or civil unrest makes it harder and harder to get my beloved Tanzanian Peaberry coffee, I will feel it.
When floods wipe out the routes I usually travel to get to the grocery store because bridges have been neglected for years, I will feel it.
When the water from my kitchen tap becomes unsafe to drink because drought has led to water sources reaching dangerous levels of pollutants, I will feel it.
None of these scenarios are insurmountable. But they throw off a routine.
And we have to learn to adapt.
Today, I'll be honest, if I am feeling this challenged by a seemingly minor change in my routin, I wonder how well I will adapt to climate change myself?
A few clever fixes, knowing how to adapt to the crisis has let me keep working, even with a few inconveniences. Sort of. This time...
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Productive comments are especially welcome.
Deniers and trolls are not. We have too much work to do for that kind of nonsense.