Sandstorm

Sandstorms are violent wind storms that occur in the desert when high winds lift

particles of sand into the air thus unleashing a turbulent and suffocating cloud of sand.

They can occur unexpectedly and last for as little as a few minutes or as long as a few

months. Regardless of how long they last, the effects can be abrasive and blinding to

exposed skin. To survive a sandstorm one therefore has to experience the sandstorm

from a different position of having exposed skin covered, and ʻridingʼ the storm. A

sandstorm can move whole sand dunes, thus changing the landscape. There is

therefore a real danger of getting lost in a whirling wall of sand, as well as the abrasive

effects on exposed skin and eyes. To survive a sandstorm, one has to cover exposed

skin, and then sit and wait for it to pass whilst experiencing the sights, sounds, smell,

taste of the storm, but doing so from a position that allows you to experience it, but not

be caught up and exposed in it. Major sandstorms are a natural occurrence – they are

part of life in the desert and cannot be avoided.

Difficult life situations/worries/anxieties/fears/problems can be like sandstorms.

They are a natural occurrence of life and living. We can sometimes feel as though we

are caught in the middle of a sandstorm, lost (moving sand dunes and changing

landscapes), and unsure of which direction to move in.