April 28, 2011
“I"Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella." ~Terri Guillemets, creator of the Quote Garden
The trouble with the weather right now in the Midwest is that we can't make the rain stop.
Anyone know a reverse rain dance?
I found one blogger named Angela who said she caused a California water shortage by doing the Hokey Pokey, and I think she believes she did.
Somehow, I don't think the Hokey Pokey will help in Missouri as we face record flooding this spring and a punch in the face from tornadoes, hail, wild thunder and lightening storms and rain, seemingly endless rain.
Regardless of whether you love or hate these storms, one has to agree that spring storms are hypnotic, frightening, captivating, spellbinding, powerful and magnetic.
They are both our friend and foe.
Lisa Fritscher, online health journalist, explains that storms are natural occurrences that tend to illicit strong emotions in both humans and animals, even though nature tends to make things right in the end. In fact, some people have such strong reactions to storms that they develop a condition known as astrapobia, the fear of thunder and lightening storms.
It is difficult to imagine how floods, tornadoes and lightening could be good for us, especially if one happens to be afraid of storms.
For most of us, I guess you could say that we love storms or hate them, but mostly we do not understand them. We do love to watch them, however.
Which type of weather watcher are you, incidentally?
One who is obsessed with the weather channel and tracking storms online and won't go outside without checking these first?
One who does not take storms seriously at all and is not afraid of any old lightening in the distance. The type might stand on a metal ladder during a lightening storm because he or she needs to finish cleaning out the gutters and the job can't wait.
A thrill seeker who delights in lightening crashes, the nearer the better.
An artist who wants to make videos or take photographs of violent but beautiful skies.
A fun lover who dances in the rain and jumps in puddles.
Those who simply enjoy the quiet solitude of watching storms, in awe of the spectacular power of nature.
With these thoughts in mind, here's a little weather quiz for you.
See if you can find yourself in the list below of strong emotional reactions to storms and how you score?
--Do you hate the loud, booming burst of noise, that first clap of thunder so much that you cover your ears?
--Do you run for the basement?
--Hide under the covers?
--Call out for your mother?
--Are more afraid than your dog?
--Are you pessimistic enough about storms that you believe the number one reason tornado season is like Christmas is that sooner or later you are going to have a tree in your house?
If you answered "yes" to more than three of these, don't worry. You may just need some old-fashioned homespun advice from my favorite coffee shop weather gurus.
Such as, "Sweetie, I'm sure the rain is scared of you, too?"
Or, "For crying out loud, why don't you move to Arizona where it hasn't rained in hundreds of years."
"Come on, it's not going to flood. You live on a hill."
"Do you remember the movie Back to the Future? In the film, Doc explained that his invention, a 'flux capacitator', could harness a lightening bolt made up of 1.21 'jigowatts' of power and propel a time machine back to 1955? Lightening is a powerful source of energy. Think about it."
Think 'flux capacitator'. Yup, that advice could be the best I've heard yet.
Next time lightening strips the bark from the locust tree in the backyard and the cow in the field across the creek moos so loudly it wakes the neighborhood, yessirree, I will think 'flux capacitator' and feel ever so much better.
Oh, the trouble with weather indeed.
