Flashes and Crashes!

One of my favorite things to experience is a thunderstorm.  The first thing that comes to mind is watching the storm - the dramatic shapes and dark hues of the clouds, and the shocking, brilliant flashes of lightning.  But equally rich are the sounds of the storm, the cracks of thunder, or sometimes rolling booms, and the sound of rain pelting trees, streets and roofs - and the fresh, clean smells that come with the rain.

Last night I was lying in bed with my eyes closed.  I knew a storm was coming, and was looking forward to hearing the patter of rain on the roof as I feel asleep.  Suddenly I was startled by a bright light, as if someone had flicked the light on in the room - only several times more intense - even though the only entry points for light were a skylight in the closet and a window with translucent shades.  By the time I opened my eyes, the room was dark again, and the house-rattling crash of thunder came almost immediately.

This afternoon, while in a meeting 16 stories up, I watched a storm move in from the west, an embodiment of energy with lightning, thunder, and heavy rain, and then move through within 20 minutes or so, the darkness moving off to the east, the sky clearing behind.  I'm musing about how all this energy becomes gathered and contained, so it can manifest with such incredible force.

I can remember many storms in Kansas as I grew up - dark swirling clouds approaching, almost always from the west.  Heavy pelting rain - in the summer sometimes warm and fun to play in, building dams in the gutters and finding sticks to float as pretend boats down the torrents.  I didn't fully appreciate the danger in all that power, sometimes staying out by the windows to see if I could spot the swirling tornado indicated by the siren that had started to blare.

The power is so far beyond me, the forces so completely out of my control, the sights and sounds so basic, so visceral - I think that is the basis of my fascination with the storms, my awe in the experience. The joy doesn't diminish.  Each storm is a unique being.  I expect to be enjoying thunderstorms as long as I live.