Ode to California

Simply reposting this blog I had posted on Medium on Sep 12, 2020. Praying and hoping that the current LA wildfires are brought under control as soon as possible.

Californians were called pampered. Most agreed. We complained when the rains ran a bit wild. When the thermometer climbed above 90 degrees, we rushed out to the many beaches in our backyard. Of course, we were spoilt with choices. We could think of any outdoor activity any time of the year and follow through. Feel like hiking or go surfing, just head out. Some people made wine-tasting their sport of choice. If you rather enjoyed winter sports, you had skiing meccas nearby.

California — the land of valleys, hills, forests, oceans, beautiful beaches and glorious waterfalls — was vast and blessed by nature. Californians loved their outdoors, and didn’t mind the high cost of living. Even if you took every vacation traveling to a new place within the state, you would have something left to see.

And then things changed: our own undoing. Climate change is no longer just a worrisome hashtag or simply a subject of discussion. It’s in our neighborhoods, inside our homes.

When we moved here in 2000 we worried about earthquakes. It didn’t take us long to learn to live with the uncertainty of earth’s tectonic tempers. Drop, cover and hold became a part of our lexicon. We would shake off occasional jolts and gloat on our good fortune. Being able to afford to live in California was nothing short of great privilege. Our houses are certainly smaller compared to the palatial homes people buy for a fraction of the same amount elsewhere. We never envied that, because we had the best weather. Not for sale. We were in The Golden State; filled with sun and shine.

Thinking back, I remember we would never need a fan let alone AC in summers. The cool breeze had its address here. No preparations were needed to step out during the mild winters. Here the rains would be on time and behaved well. Then came the long drought period like an ominous warning of worse things to come. We adapted to brown surroundings and quickly learned to value water. Just when we relegated the drought to a distant memory, wildfires have made us realize our precarious position when confronted by the wrath of nature. The pandemic has only added to the misery. If the apocalyptic orange and golden skies of this week are any indication, California faces a bleak rest of the year. But Californians are in this together, and resolute enough to brave everything.

People have shown resilience by dealing with the all-engulfing conditions. Ready to drop and roll earlier, they are packed and ready to evacuate leaving all their valuables behind. While the pandemic posed a big challenge to everyone, wildfires have fueled the will to withstand any calamity. Our firefighters deserve to be compensated well for their daring work, not simply applauded, liked on social media posts and then forgotten. One cannot even fathom the enormity of their sacrifice. They are the soldiers with hoses.

Sometimes I look at the little kids and wonder what they will grow up remembering. Will we get our pleasant days of carefree seasons and regular school days back for them? Can our tech powerhouses devise some magical ways to curtail these wildfires? Can we somehow stop this spread as well? The solution has to come from California. Most must agree.