Thunderstorms

When I was younger, I was terrified of storms. I imagined trees falling on top of me while I was sleeping, tornadoes carrying me away, and being electrified if I touched water during a storm. Even if I was with my parents, I was fearful.

As I have grown older, storms have become more exciting for me. I still fear the prospect of tornadoes. All it takes is one mention of a tornado and my intestines begin trying to empty their contents. When I was a teenager, living in a trailer park in Texas, I was sometimes home alone when the sky would begin turning a dark grey. I would immediately turn on the weather channel and go into a state of panic. The weatherman must have been a pessimist, though he would probably call himself a realist just trying to keep people safe. He always gave the warning that we should seek shelter. Living in a trailer, I knew that I was supposed to seek shelter somewhere else, but I was terrified of going outside when there was the potential for a tornado. I was certain that if I stepped out of the trailer, a tornado would drop on top of me and I would be a goner. I would call my mom, almost in tears, desperate for her to be home. Somehow, if she was there, it was all okay. Parents have that talent. She would tell me to calm down, that it really wasn't as bad as the weatherman said, and she would be home soon. I would look out the window every other minute, willing her to get home faster.

Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with thunderstorms. I think it was actually before I reached my teenage years. I'm not sure. All I know is that thunderstorms make me exceedingly happy. The more severe they are, the better, so long as they do not go over the line of tornado status. I think part of the reason for this is that they make things feel cozy. When you are safe inside somewhere, you can look out and see the craziness, and it makes the inside feel that much more safe and secure. I am wondering, however, if another possible reason for my love of thunderstorms is the thrill factor.

This afternoon while I was cashiering, a storm blew over us and knocked out our registers. They were up within a few minutes, but it was enough to make work interesting. I had an added benefit of having a card machine that refused to work after the storm passed over us, so I could only ring up groceries for people able to pay with cash. (Side note: It is amazing, and somewhat depressing, how few people are actually ABLE to pay with cash if something like that happens. We are too dependent on technology.) It was truly exhilarating.

Possibly the biggest reason I love thunderstorms, however, is because they are just awesome. Have you ever stood outside when the wind is blowing really hard, smelled the rain on the asphalt, watched lightening streak across the sky, and reveled in the thunder that shakes the house? I know that they can be destructive, but there is something so beautiful in the amount of power in a thunderstorm.