Wenoticethewindwhenitseemscruel,whenthetreesturnawayfromit,anditcutsintoourhearts.“Certainwindswillmakemen’stemperbad,”saidGeorgeEliot.InIsrael,thereisonekindofwindthatbringsirritability,headaches,sicknessandrespiratorydifficulties.InGermany,awarm,drywindissaidtoblowheartachesdownfromtheAlps.InSouthernCalifornia,theSantaAnaisassociatedwithanincreaseindepressionanddomesticviolence.Scientistshavetriedwithoutsuccesstoidentifyphysiologicalreasonsforthesereactions.Everyoneagrees,however,thatdrywindsliketheSantaAna,thecoldnortherlywindinFranceandthewindinGermanyandSwitzerlandseemtohavenegativeeffectsonourmentalandphysicalwell-being.
Onwindydays,playgroundfights,suicidesandheartfailuresaremorefrequent.InGeneva,trafficaccidentsincreasewhenawindcalledthebiseblows.Attherequestofpatients,someSwissandGermanhospitalspostponesurgerywhenthewindblowsoffthenorthernslopesoftheAlps.Itishumantoaskwhatisbehindthewind.ItiseasytopersonifythewindasthebreathofGod.Theactoftakingwindintoourlungsiswhatgivesuslife.TheJews,Arabs,RomansandGreeksalltooktheirwordforspiritfromthewordforwind.Eskimowomenoncechasedthewindfromtheirhousewithclubs,whilethemenshotitwithriflestokilltheevilspirittheybelievedrodeitsgusts.Butourday-to-daylivesarenolongerblownonthewinds.
Wedonotidentifywindwithspiritanymore.Thatisgoodforcommerce,butitexactsacosttothehumaneyeandheart.Thewindblowsussimplepleasures.Therearewindslappingatshores,bathingusinscentsofcoconutandspice,beckoningusfurther.