The Santa Anas

by Samuel Sukaton

They blow, in a lot of ways. But in only one direction - southeast, off the Rockies, over the Mojave, and into the L.A. Basin, throwing the Southland into a volatile clarity. Just as one strains to appreciate the fresh view, it explodes into infernal madness, obscuring everything all over again in a panorama of smoke and flame. Isn't life like that, a series of moments of almost agonizing clarity, trapped between the choking smog of indolence and mediocrity on one side, and the blazing, passionate fanaticism (and the unbearable smoky atmosphere of fear and uncertainty that accompany it) on the other? Sometimes, we all need a Santa Ana wind in our lives. Just not near our homes.

6S

Samuel Sukaton, author of Wednesday is the New Friday, represents the Blue and Gold of UCLA.