Everyone loves a tornado

Yesterday afternoon, around 4, my sleepy afternoon was interrupted by our over-enthusiastic newbie prancing around the office excitedly squealing "Tornado! Tornado!" I swear, she did two laps around the whole 2nd floor. So what did we do? Did we dive under our desks, or run downstairs? Did we huddle in the ladies room or the supply closet? Nooooooooo, we stampeded to the 2nd floor balcony of our flimsy, stilt-supported, over-ravine-hanging, all glass building. We had a perfect view! At least 15 of us stood out there in the storm, oohing and ahhing and utterly mesmerized by the swirling funnels off in the distance. There were a few of them, taking turns swirling down, going up, coming down again... and there we were, huddled together watching.

Finally someone said what the rest of us were thinking: "...All those times i've watched storm shows on tv and seen home videos of tornadoes and thought 'what kind of idiot stands there and TAPES a tornado' -- well, I finally understand." We nodded and laughed uncomfortably, still watching. The overzealous newbie was snapping pics with her camera phone. Finally people got bored and wandered back to their cubes and just went on with the afternoon -- but me, I was overcharged with excitement! I had finally seen a REAL TORNADO! All my life -- well, maybe just since living in Kansas during formative childhood years -- I've yearned to see a real one. I spent many hours huddled in our basement in KS as a kid, clutching my stuffed animals and our cats, listening to tornadoes, but never seeing one. I regularly dream of them, for some reason -- I consider these recurring dreams stress dreams signifying times when i'm feeling "out of control" of whatever. Anyway. Finally, I have been satisfied!!!

I felt even more validated when I saw the HOME VIDEOS of the tornadoes on the 10 o'clock news -- it was really cool to see what we were looking at, only a lot closer up. Apparently they did little damage, but sure were cool.

I don't know how anything else can top that for me this week. I'm still marveling at my lack of fear. In the tornado dreams, I'm terrified, yet stuck in one place, unable to act or move as the tornado approaches... in reality, I was unable to act or move as I delightedly gawked at the real live tornadoes.

Go figure.