Thoughts on thunderstorms...

Ever been out and about and been caught out in the rain? I haven't until Tuesday. I was out visiting a friend in New Jersey when it began storming rather badly; the rain wasn't so bad but the thunder and lightning was certainly a sight to see. It's a different sensation... I don't really know how to describe it, but I'll do my best.

There's that sort of sharp, biting ozone smell from the lightning, as well as the airy scent from the rain. The sight of the lightning flashing, both the light, and seeing the bolts themselves arcing between the clouds and ground. The almost ominous, but at the same time awed feeling of watching the thunderclouds bloom, coupled with a slight feeling of foreboding, closely tied with a healthy respect for nature, and a calm acceptance of what's about to happen all wash over me at once. I can hear the distant growl of the thunderclouds, singing their powerful war cry for all to hear as they announce both their presence and their dominance over the process of the world at this point in time. There's the sensation that there should be a sound, but the recognition that there isn't really one whenever a lightning bolt flashes. The sounds of the trees singing in the breeze reach my ears, and the pat-pat-pat of the first drops of rain alert me to the beginning of the storm. I look up, watch a lightning bolt flash and see each individual rain drop frozen for a split second, before everything resumes again. I feel a leap in my heart as the chill of each rain drop registers in my mind, and with a thrill I realize that this is how it feels to truly feel. I turn and begin to run down the trail with my arms spread wide as a light shower starts. I feel almost giggly; happiness wells up in me as I reawaken my inner child with this simple act. My heart pounds and my skin tingles, and as the rain lets up but the thunder and lightning continue to grow in magnitude, the feelings I'm experiencing also take a darker, more powerful turn. Each bolt of lightning that strikes the ground leaves my body almost shuddering, watching the power of nature unleash itself in such a raw, unbridled way. As the storm unfolds itself like a dragon awaking from slumber, I begin to feel each blast of thunder right down to my core, shaking my very foundation and leaving me feeling as though the storm itself is alive and challenging me. I don't back down.

I stand in the center of the path, watching this deadly and beautiful expression of nature's fury run its course, and for the first time, I feel fucking alive.... and I love it.

The storm winds its course, and I find myself standing there, completely and utterly still, just breathing and feeling the last of the adrenalin leave my system. I take in a slow, cleansing breath, turn, and walk away, feeling that at that instant, I've lost a bit of my remaining innocence, but at the same time, I've gained something. I've experienced something that many people fear, facing the full fury of nature and walking away unscathed. I feel stronger, in some way, as though just watching this awesome act of our great planet, I've witnessed some higher power at work, and I take inspiration from this as I do any other process of our world. I hope you, too, get the chance to experience the beauty of nature in such an empowering way.