Thunderstorms

The dog next door goes crazy in thunderstorms.  I hear a roll of thunder and wait.  Sure enough, the dog next door takes off and barks.  I know she takes off because I hear the stones scatter as she gets her footing to high tail it into the front yard to raise her head in a good bark.
I was interested to see in the film “Mongol,” Genghis Khan and his mob really feared thunderstorms.  They would sit under cover and wait.  Sort of reminds me of me.  I sit under the cover of the house and wait too.  Several reasons are given for their fear.  In the 12th century they believed thunder was unleashed by a dragon like creature in the sky.  Someone noted that the fear of lightning was well founded as Mongolia is a flat country devoid of trees, and a Mongol on a horse was the tallest things around.  Lightning gravitates to tall.  Someone else noted their armour was made of metal.  Metal, lightning, and humans do not really go well together.
When we first bought this place there was evidence of lighting having struck a tree.  Apparently, it fell where our shed now is.  We got rid of another tree that towered over our shed.  Anytime we were in there in a thunderstorm I had visions of the tree crashing through the shed.  I am tough but not that tough.  If it was that tree or me, I would pick that tree every time.  Anyway, it is no more.  We hate getting rid of trees, but we valued our lives more.
It’s greatest claim to fame for us was the decent of a fig bird.  It was a baby one and although it had wings, its tail feathers had not developed to the point it could fly.  Its decent would have been very controlled in an uncontrolled way.  We were working out the back and heard a chirp.  From that point on we looked after the bird.  I will never forget a tough German fella working on the fence cradling the bird as he returned it to Merril and I.
The way I relate to thunderstorms reminds me of the Seekers song “close the door light the light, we’re staying home tonight…”  Lightning of course can have devastating consequences.  It is totally understandable that golf courses sound an alarm when thunderstorms approach. Being inside is better than being outside.  Many sports played out in the open could probably follow their example.  One accident is one too many.
Some have a really unreasonable fear of thunderstorms.  Often if they do not know why, it is something in their past they cannot remember.  Happens with the fear of many things – like claustrophobia or the fear of spiders or of heights.  I have a fear of heights.  While a healthy respect is advisable, sometimes I just gotta explain what is unreasonable reasonably.
I am fascinated by thunderstorms.  I watch them until they are really close.  Then I go inside and find something else to do.