First Thunderstorm

[osprey_archer]

We've had our first thunderstorm of the season: weird strobing lightning, rumbles of thunder, thick rain pinging like BB bullets against the windows at Starbucks.

When I was eight and nine and ten thunderstorms terrified me; I hid in the basement, the part with no windows, under my mother's heavy-duty sewing table for as long as it took the storm to pass. One time I stayed downstairs all night, periodically turning on the weather channel to watch the thick red band of thunderstorms that never seemed to move. Another time we had a storm at school, and I yo-yoed out of my seat at all the loudest thunderclaps.

The phobia went away eventually. It's nice to think that the things that seem horrible to me now will someday be something I watch through the window, sipping hot chocolate and wondering about my younger self.

Comments

[exuberantself.livejournal.com]

That's so cute!

When I was in high school, my younger sister and brother were still little enough to be afraid of thunderstorms. One night the power went out at our house and the two of them curled up in my bed with me while I told them stories from my Kafka anthology. It was pretty awesome, actually.

Growing up is weird that way though, isn't it? Things that used to seem so big don't even phase you anymore.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

You told your little siblings Kafka stories while the power was out? That's an...interesting way to try to cure thunderstorm fear. "Just imagine how awful it would be to be suddenly turned into a bug, and the scary thunder and lightning will be nothing in comparison!"

[exuberantself.livejournal.com]

Actually, it was "A Hunger Artist" and it was more of a distraction, but they still remember it.

...we were all very into horror movies and whatnot. That's the only way I can really explain it, really.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Honest.