Thunderstorms

I love thunderstorms. Their sound, wind, driving rain--the entire experience is wonderful. A huge storm hit our office for a while today, and I found myself having trouble concentrating and staring out the window in awe at the dark sky.

When I was growing up in St. Petersburg, an early evening storm meant a cooler evening, something we much prized. Maybe those memories are why I'm such a fan of storms.

What strikes me most, though, is the primal energy they unleash. Like standing under the fireworks each Fourth of July, being out in a powerful storm puts you both in the midst of and at the whim of forces beyond your control. We all live that way every day, of course, but something about gusting winds, darkening skies, splits of lightning, and explosions of thunder connect to my core more than any intellectual understanding ever will.