Last night I heard a new take on a familiar phrase while watching PBS NewsHour. Jonathan Capeheart, while referring to something political, said the phrase, in a very deliberate way, “The storm before the calm.”
I often get phrases or little bits of lyrics in my head that repeat without me even realizing it, and “the storm before the calm” has been with me all day.
Earlier this week, I was describing chimpanzees to someone as being either very quiet and mellow or loud and explosive. Of course they have in-between states too, but chimpanzees do often seem to have a dual way of being that can flip in an instant.
What I like about the inversion of that familiar phrase about storms and calms is its fundamental truth. We can worry about the storms when things are calm, but, during storms, we can also try to appreciate that calm is sure to follow.
Like most days with chimpanzees, there were a few stormy moments, but for the most part, things were very calm.
Jody in her favorite spot:
Jody, poolside:
Burrito and Missy grooming a calm Jamie:
