Storms

This blog is inspired by my close friend and brother in music, Ed Torres who's eternal optimism and gentle spirit fuels me to no end.

I have recollections as far back as I can remember of seeing the black sky creep in like a slowly drawn blanket over my neighborhood. Kids would run for shelter at seeing the lightning strike in the distance followed by the rolling rumbles of thunder chasing them all further and faster on. I, on the other hand would also run for shelter, but rather anxious to get home to the breezeway where my family and I would gather to immerse ourselves in the storm and relish in it's glory rather than hide from it. There would be the smell of ozone in the air mixed with the fresh pollen being swept away as mother nature cooled off the planet and cleansed away all the grime.

My close friend Doug would often call me literally out of the blue and tell me that a storm is approaching from the west, telling me to come over immediately. When I got there, we'd both jump in his Volkswagen Rabbit and drive down to Rosannadanna's, a restaurant located directly on the Point Pleasant Inlet to enjoy a cup of coffee as the storm swept over us and again violently washed away all the dirt.

I've been embracing storms all of my life rather than cowering from them. I was taught early on not to fear them, but to admire and enjoy their majesty; their power and their beauty. But of course, I'd never want them to last too long because the real reward was after the storm... when the clouds diminished into the east and took all that dirt and grime with it leaving the earth clean, fresh and renewed. Some storms would last longer than others, and often cloud the skies long enough that it became harder to imagine the freshness and beauty that would most definitely follow, but it always did.

So I think the next time a storm comes over me, instead of running for shelter, I think I'll simply let it sweep over me, taking away any dirt and grime that's collected on me as well as the earth beneath my feet. I suppose I'll run the risk of being struck by lightning, but what the hell. What's life without a little risk?