I had been watching the weather channel obsessively all day. I knew the storms were headed my way, and I was looking forward to them. You see, I absolutely love thunderstorms. I love opening the windows, and having that pre-storm breeze flow through the house. I love the smells. I love how the rain begins gently at first, and then later, how it really starts to pour.

I especially love that first thunder clap. When I see that first flash, I start counting. One-one thousand, Two one-thousand, Three-one thousand. How far away is it? And then you hear the rumbles. They start soft and quickly crescendo. The deepest rumbles are the best – those you don’t so much hear but feel. They rattle around, felt in my bones.

I love to lay on my bed and just let the entire experience flow over me. The contrast between the violence of the storm and the serenity it brings reflects the nature of life itself.

They say to never go outside, but today I must. I must experience – FLASH ! The world goes black.