jerzgirl

I have always been afraid of thunder and lightning, but have been able to maintain as I got older.  Of course, living in Utah for 17 years helped since the storms were much milder out there (I assume the mountains keep them from building strength).  I used to get hysterical when storms would come through.  I’d cry, I’d run to my mother (who would try to pretend she was afraid so I’d “‘tect” her); as I got older, I’d pull the covers over my head and pray for the storm to be taken away, please, so I wouldn’t be afraid.  I hated being caught out in them.  I couldn’t even drive - I’d pull over until it passed.

I got caught in one once after a softball game with my office team.  We could see the wall of rain coming in, hear it approach.  We all got in our cars and called the game off allowing whoever was ahead to win.  I started driving home when a huge bolt of lightning hit the road in front of me, the thunder so instantaneous that there was no separation in sight and sound.  My car shook from the sound waves.  It scared the holy hell out of me.  I pulled into the front yard of someone my mother knew on that road and waited it out.  The rain was coming down so hard, you couldn’t see more than 20 feet ahead.  So, I just sat and waited for it to end.

What I didn’t know was that back home, the new firehouse was being built.  The men were putting the A-frame roof joists up when a small twister, generated from this same storm, dropped down into the center of the cinderblock building.  It sucked the walls in and the men and roof framework came tumbling down.  Fortunately, their injuries were minor, but it shook my parents up because they knew I was out in it somewhere.  My dad decided to go looking for me.

So, I’m sitting in Frances’ front yard just waiting for the storm to get done so I can get back on the road and go home, when I see a very familiar car drive past.  Because I wasn’t where they knew I’d gone, and he couldn’t hear me honking my horn because of the storm’s noise, I decided I needed to follow my father so he’d know where I was.  I caught up to him at the high school where we’d been playing ball and pulled up next to him.  I told him where I’d been parked and immediately got a lecture on not sitting under trees during a storm like this.  But, he left and I followed him home.  That’s when he told me about the firehouse, which was why they were afraid for me.

Needless to say, the firehouse got built, better supports were added to the side walls (they’d failed to put them in before), and no more storms of that nature came around while I was living there.  But, it did nothing to quell my fears of these kinds of storms.  I can’t imagine living where tornadoes are prevalent - I’d probably be locked away by now!Anyway, this storm today was pretty wild.  I don’t usually wake up if they start after I’m asleep, but this one sure got me.  Initially, I was fine.  They usually blow through and are short-lived.  But, this one lingered and lingered, bolt after bolt of lightning overlapping one another, thunder crashing all around like waves in a tempestuous sea.  I literally found myself curling up onto a ball on my bed just waiting for it to end.  It had exceeded my comfort level that had taken years to acquire.

They say we’re due for more storms this evening.  I’m not looking forward to it.  Not at all.