80. Thunderstorms… Inspiring or scary?

When I was a little kid I was deathly afraid of thunderstorms. I would hide under my blankets and plug my ears so I wouldn't hear the thunder. I don't remember how old I was but there was a tornado warning for the town I live in and I went to the basement with my dad and the dogs. My mom didn't think it was that big of a deal and stayed upstairs. The power flickered but didn't go out and I peaked at the window across from the basement door and it was a mess outside. Once the storm passed we came upstairs and looked out at the backyard. The yard was a mess and branches and leaves were everywhere. We turned on the news and found out that there was indeed a tornado but it had missed our street and hit the next one a few miles away. The next morning we surveyed the damage and found a trees and been knocked down and the area by the lake was a mess of branches. My dad also found a few of the shingles that had been ripped off the house. That experience made me more afraid of thunderstorms but I was just thankful to be alive.

I think I was about 15 or 16 when there was another bad thunderstorm. There wasn't a tornado but this time the power did go out. My mom and I stayed at my grandpa's house as I was making my Profession of Faith in church that Sunday. Eventually the power got restored and we went back home. There was a lot of damage around the city and trees were blocking some of the roads. I even saw a tree that had landed on a house. Back at home there wasn't much damage except for a tree that fell on our driveway.

When I was little I was afraid of thunderstorms but as I got older that fear lessened. Now I sit outside and watch the lightning if the storm isn't bad. If there is a severe thunderstorm in the middle of the night I will turn of the TV to make sure there isn't a tornado warning and keep it on until the storm is gone. As a little kid thunderstorms were scary but now they are inspiring. Thunderstorms and tornadoes are the raw power of nature and even though we are tempted to watch them it's better to stay safe.