Stormy Weather

I admit, storms scare me.

Not the normal, run-of-the-mill summer thunderstorms; I like to sit on a porch and watch the light show! And though it's been awhile since I experienced a North Dakota blizzard, I don't think I'd be afraid as long as I could stay inside and was well supplied with warmth, food, and a good book.

What triggers my fear is extreme, strong wind. Like the tropical storm (not quite a hurricane) I experienced in Florida last summer - the pressure on the windows of the third floor apartment I stayed in made me hope they wouldn't break and drive slivers into me. I was evacuated before the worst part came, and there was never any real danger; nevertheless, I felt that primeval fear that goes deeper than any logic.

We've had strong winds here this past week, and not too far away a man was killed by a falling branch. When I'm sitting upstairs at my computer or sewing machine, it can feel like the wind is going to take off the roof, and I confess to turning everything off and going downstairs, where I feel safer.

I heard a weather expert talking about the changing global conditions on the radio. He said the averages may not seemed much changed from what they used to be, but they are composed of more extremes. When it rains, it's heavier; droughts are more severe; winds are stronger; floods are more frequent; heat and cold more pronounced. Will we experience a world in which we have to fear for our lives due to natural forces beyond our control?