The Prince of Lightning
The Prince of Lightning
Considering how much fat, protein, carbohydrates, alcohol and all the other trash I have consumed since Friday – hey, it was my kid’s birthday, which somehow spilled over into Saturday as well – I knew that running on Sunday morning would no longer be an option, but an absolute and sheer necessity. Besides, my schedule during the week is so overcrowded that I simply can’t afford to miss Sundays, no matter what.
As some of you may have heard, we had some sort of a hurricane / twister pass through our area overnight, destroying everything in its path, but more importantly, not letting me get those few precious hours of sleep I so desperately need! All night long I was listening to the roaring wind, patiently waiting for the eye of the storm to find our humble home and rip it apart….My older son spent half the night hiding in the bathroom with a flash light, terrified by the lightning and the shaking of the house….
I was awakened again at 5:20 by the sound of total and utter silence, not a peep from anywhere… the rain had apparently stopped at some point, and though exhausted by the eventful night, my mind signaled – GREEN LIGHT! I had to take this opportunity and go out, or it would never happen; something will always come up or come down and stop me from going.
I ran out and what a gorgeous, absolutely beautiful morning it was! A bit of that overnight rain was still drizzling – nothing wrong with that – but what an unreal and electric atmosphere, a real pleasure to breathe in the crisp-sharp, almost sweet air! And not a sound anywhere. I was actually happy to leave my iPhone at home – he doesn’t like water much – and just enjoy the raw experience.
It turned out to be just your typical, back-to-the-basics run, I got the breathing going early on and settled in for an enjoyable distance-building, quiet outing. Nothing better I could ask for – literally feeling all the calories acquired through the week melting away, my body getting tightened and proper yet again – just your regular tune-up! I started wondering why I don’t do this even more often, thinking to myself, but unable to explain it…. and then it hit!
No, I am not talking about a bright idea that suddenly “hit” me – I am talking about a flash of lightning through the entire skyline, followed by one of the most outrageous and powerful thunder shots I have ever heard in my life! Sounded more like a building falling on top of me than any thunder I ever heard, and I will tell you truthfully – it scared the life out of me! And of course, needless to say, suddenly the rain intensified and quickly turned into one of those downpours, literally a wall of water. Not again, I thought to myself, I like a little rain, not quite this much, but ok, I am about ¾ of the way in, how bad can it be… Famous last words!
The rain proved to be the least of my problems – it was the lightning that continued to entertain me along the way, at times lighting up the entire skyline and seemingly staying alive for a very long time. I hardly ever observe lightnings out in the open, and I am not looking forward to the next time – it is surprisingly creepy! Each time a lightning-thunder combo powered through the sky, I would scream out “Mama!” and pick up the pace, trying to get home quicker than ever in my life!
Interestingly enough, I made it back in one piece, soaked, but physically intact and unharmed by the calamities. I am still happy I went out, but I think I am getting a little tired of the rain-running routines; maybe I need something less exciting in my life…. Hey, even winter, with mountains of snow and the biting cold is way safer than this!