Thunderstorms

A couple of days ago I was driving home and the radio put out a tornado warning. This is highly unusual where I live, but the skies were dark and a funny color that definitely had me wondering. Trees were whipping around like they were in a blender. I was relieved when I got home minutes before the thunder, lightning and downpour began. And no tornadoes actually occurred. Storms certainly have many downsides. People lose power and trees. I don't like being out when people are driving like they've never seen water before. And I hate getting stuck outside with an umbrella that pulls me along scarily until it turns inside out. When I was a kid, I was playing at a neighbor's house when a thunder storm started. Every time there was a clap of thunder, the mother would throw her arms over her head and scream, pounding her feet in place, as though she could outrun the sound. I'm not exaggerating. It was the strangest spectacle I'd ever seen. You know how when you're a kid you assume that what your family does is normal and it takes time to realize that other people do things differently? This was a big eye-opener for me. I didn't know whether to laugh or hide behind the sofa from the crazy lady. When I got home and told my mom what I'd seen she told me that starting when I was a baby, whenever there was thunder and lightning, she'd stand with me at a window and we'd watch the pretty lights. Very likely, that was the start of my romantic feelings about storms. I love being inside my snug home watching a storm. There's a majestic power to it, like waves pounding on the sand. And when I tire of watching it, I get a great mystery and curl up in my reading chair. The storm sets the perfect mood, blocking out all thoughts of real life. As with any good book, I become part of the intrigue in the story and wouldn't be surprised if a drenched stranger knocked at my door, looking for help. Rest assured, I'm not a total idiot. These days if someone unknown comes to my door unannounced in a storm when I'm alone, I'm going to call the police. But I don't need to worry about reality when I'm in a storm cocoon having a wild adventure.