Thunder and lightnin"

"Thunder and Lightnin', Oh yeah." The words of an old song go something like that anyway. Right now the thunder and lightnin' is going off like crazy just outside my picture window. Some of us are scared when that happens. Not me! I love the stuff. Not when it causes damage or injury of course but most often it is relatively harmless and cleanses the air of odors. Did you know that? Lightning creates ozone, ozone is called natures deodorizer, kind of like bleaching the air except it doesn't turn everything white as snow. A cup of Java, a window to look out at the storm, the strains of calming music in the background and a book on my desk filled with amusing anecdotes to read. It will be almost an hour before my busy life overtakes me and I will be completely oblivious to my surroundings and the thunder and lightning will pass almost completely unnoticed. Such is a life wearing so many hats.

One of my favorite pastimes is walking in the rain, thunder and lightning is a plus but not necessary. There is a path running alongside a creek not too far from here. It crisscrosses through a wooded area preserved to protect it's natural beauty. Natural beauty has it's cost. The progress of humanity is halted in this little sacred place. Covered with washouts and obstacles, I've occasionally had to climb over a fallen tree to continue along the overgrown pathway. So be it. Birds, ducks, bugs, spiders, the occasional deer, skunk or ground squirrel add to the mystery of what lies ahead. Bringing me back to the reality of my existence. The rain is refreshing, the thunder and lightning, to be totally honest is at the very least a little scary I guess. I almost always walk alone. It helps me remember that I am not in control here. In order to survive in the wild I have to be flexible enough to roll with and overcome whatever I am faced with.

The book I am reading is an autobiography written by a guy that's had a pretty rough existence over the past 8o some years. He rolled with the punches, got back up and offered a few punches of his own. Raw and unvarnished, this story is difficult to read and follow. I have to pick out the pertinent information from the meanderings of his uncontrolled conversation with the written word. Moving from one time to another without notice, some pages cover the course of experience over 5 decades and then back again. The purpose of my reviewing it for the writer is to improve how the story moves and hopefully discover the audience he is hoping to entertain. For myself, I am reading it as an exercise in relearning how to work with what I am faced with at any given moment instead of trying to control my every move. It is an exercise in trust of my own capabilities. I am grateful for this opportunity to grow intellectually. The particular feature that stands out in this story is the moral standards and humorous attitude that he maintained throughout all the adversity. He remained true to his own code of ethics, no matter what. A good lesson to learn. He usually knew what he had to do to survive, he usually controlled how he did it.

The thunder and lightning are subsiding somewhat, the sky is clearing a bit, the rain has slowed from a downpour to a light drizzle and it's almost time for me to get back to reality and responsibility. Ah! Life is good............................Joe