The Fury of Storms

Wow, you know I'm tired when I manage to publish a blank blog post...

Ok, so on to tonight's post before I do something equally as stupid as that last one :)   There's a lot happening in the country right now, from the fires in Colorado and other states to the insane heat everyone seems to be experiencing.  The northeast got hit with their own little bit of "fun" this past weekend with freak storms that swept through the area unexpectedly, wiping out trees and tearing down power lines.  I have a lot of family living up that way and almost all of them managed to lose power for a few days, with some just now starting to get it back.  Even here, we managed to have a storm sweep in from out of nowhere and pound us with hail that was slightly smaller than a marble for about a half hour.  It doesn't happen often and I had to go out onto the back porch and watch it fall for a few moments, listening to the way it hit the roof of the house and the vehicles, marveling at the fury of Mother Nature at times.  I can only imagine how miserable my relatives were enduring 100 degree heat without air or running water and it makes me wonder how those that came before us managed to do it all those years ago.  We think life is hard now, with all of our issues and stress, but imagine having to do what we do with no electricity, no central air, no computers or phones.  Life was simpler then but it was just as hard, if not harder I think.  Definitely gives me pause from time to time.

As for storms, well, no matter how nasty they get or how destructive, I still can't help but enjoy the chaos of them.  It's simply energizing.  I love the sound of a raging thunderstorm and the flash of lighting; it's art at its best.  If I'd lived in the midwest when I was younger, I'd have become a tornado chaser in a heartbeat, no doubt in my mind.  Even now I'd love to do it and I'm older and wiser - or so they say.  So the next time a storm comes up in your area, take a moment to enjoy the beauty of it and if it wipes out your power, just remember that we were bested by something far more primal than us.  Sometimes, that puts things in better perspective for me and it just might you also.