Thunderstorms are interesting events. They can be enthralling, dangerous and frightening at the same time.
After driving through a massive one about a week ago you think I’d know better than to flirt with disaster again, but I did…only without the safety of setting on rubber tires to insulate me from electrical execution.
One of the challenges I face as a truck driver is an unpredictable schedule, especially when it comes to being able to exercise. So I have to fit it in whenever possible sometimes.
That means I’ve run in temperatures over 100 degrees and under 30 degrees at times. Things I try to avoid when I run is ice, snow and rain.
Try is the operative word in that sentence.
Saturday was one of those days I was in a dilemma as to whether I should even attempt a run. I had been out all week and really felt like I wanted to get out there and pound the pavement.
The problem was the weather was as unpredictable and my work schedule.
I kept checking the weather app on my phone, you know, the one with a little radar that shows where it’s raining and how hard.
Well, there was a rain formation just south of me in Dallas. Keep in mind we’re talking about Texas rain. Yeah, we like to do everything big in Texas.
That small cell went from green around the edges to red in the center in a tight radius. The good news was that it was moving from west to east. That meant it was staying south of my route. So things looked good.
Then I checked it again just before I went out the door. Another cell formed in Frisco, just north of me, and it was also moving from west to east.
Plano fell into the dry slot between rain events. So I sent up a prayer and headed to the park for some fresh air.
The dark skies to the north sent out some impressive lightning bolts. The dark clouds to my south created and great rainbow on my first circuit around Archgate Park.
So far so good.
But, then…that storm in Frisco decided to change course. That’s when I realized Mother Nature must be going through menopause. Just when you think it’s safe to be around her she attacks you full force, just like last week’s storm in west Texas did.
A huge bolt of electricity stuck so close the kids on the swings made a beeline for home. They may have felt something or just got spooked. They were running so fast I didn’t have time to ask them.
I watched the west end of that cell swing south so fast I knew I wouldn’t make it home without at least getting wet if not electrocuted.
I had enough time to jog over to one of the ballfield stands to wait out the storm. As I stood on the top bleacher seat, which was only three seats high. I faced east so what little rain was blown at me would hit my back. The steel roof over my head somehow didn’t give me much comfort.
If I had been driving an 18-wheeler I would have had the wipers at full speed and slowed to about 45mph if there wasn’t anybody around me or 35mph if there were other idiots on the road.
I enjoyed the divine pyrotechnics display all around me…for a while. I noticed the other bleacher had more dry cement near it but knew I’d get wet going over there, so I stayed put.
That’s when mom nature went berserk again. As the water was rising under my bleacher from runoff the wind changed directions and the rain intensified. I was now facing east with a wet back in spite of my previous success at drydom.
We’re talking four way flashers with full speed wipers and looking for an overpass to park under type of storm now.
I knew I was out of options so I ran into the restroom for protection. I hoped it was tornado proofed, but wasn’t sure. Like I said, I was out of options.
Now my shoes were soaked…and the door was being held open by the wind that was being controlled by a female on hormone imbalance. Sometimes a fella just can’t win.
All this just to raise my heart rate so I can live longer? What was I thinking?
The geniuses that designed the building didn’t see the need to put a handle on the inside of the door so a soggy fella could get out of the weather on a not so nice day. I had to pray I got my fingers out of the way while I pulled against the forces of nature as I shut the door. I did…whew.
As I stood in the driest corner available waiting for the temper tantrum to pass I felt something on my leg. A spider was using me to climb off the wet floor to higher ground. Let’s just say that was the last mistake he ever made.
Needless to say I lived to tell about my episode with an over-sized female during a difficult time in her life, but not by much.
Jesus warned me there would be trouble in my life and that He overcame the world. He never said anything about facing a hormone enraged force of nature on a regular basis.
I guess it makes for good blog post fodder for a guy without much of a life at least.
If that counts as overcoming then I have arrived.
I’ll see you later. Wade
