Keller @ Large: Why Weather Fascinates Us

BOSTON (CBS) - A quick shout out to my colleagues at WBZ Radio and TV who've been doing their best to forecast the path and impact of Hurricane Irene, a tough job under any circumstances given how even a slight variation in the path of the storm can make a huge difference in who is affected and how.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

Everyone I've heard and seen has been calm and careful to point out the vagaries of the forecast, offering up useful information about preparing for the storm without going overboard.

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However, I'm sure that if the hurricane spares your community all but some minor rain and wind, you will immediately hear whining from people who will accuse the weather forecasters of fomenting panic.

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It happens every time, even when the forecast is on the nose or close to it.

And I think I know one reason why.

The weather makes a lot of us very uncomfortable, and drives the irritable among us into fits of irritable complaining, because it is so fundamentally beyond our control.

We can't really be sure of what's coming, we can't change the course of a storm, and there are severe limits on our control over the damage it causes.

In our culture today, this is unusual.

We've become used to exerting maximum control over our daily lives through our sumptuous buffet of gadgets, and when Mother Nature reminds us that there are limits to that power, it ruffles some feathers.

But instead of whining and finger-pointing, maybe we can respond to her reminder with something in short supply today -- humility.

All our knowledge and fancy technology means little when confronted with a higher power.

Stripped of that, we are forced to rely on ourselves, and each other.

And while I prefer nice weather, I have to say, that's not such a bad change of pace.

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.