Palm Sunday 1965 a devastating tornado ripped through my home town. Clearly I had yet to be born (or even a glimmer in anyone’s eye) as my mom was only a kid. I grew up hearing stories of that tornado, about how it ripped through my mom’s neighborhood, how hers was the only one on the block without any damage. I heard about how my grandpa pushed her and her siblings back into the basement while others were still napping on the main floor. It’s a complete miracle that they were all safe, untouched, and unharmed. I mean look at these photos.
I think it’s safe to assume I spent my childhood afraid of tornadoes. Heck, I’ve spent my adult life afraid of tornadoes. And with good reason, if you ask me. I specifically remember one of my parent’s wedding anniversaries where they went out to a dinner and a movie date while my sister and I stayed home. Sure enough, we ended up in a tornado warning that night with sirens screaming through our neighborhood, my sister and I sitting in the basement and me doing everything in my power to not completely lose my marbles. I remember my grandmother calling to make sure we were all in the basement, only to find out my parents weren’t home. Meanwhile, they were stuck at the theatre, without power and unable to leave. You can imagine what a relief it was when they were home safe and the warning had passed.
I had such a fear of tornadoes, my mom stayed home from the movies with me while my dad took my sister to see Twister when it came out in the theatre. To this day, I have zero desire to see that movie.
You may be wondering why I bring this up today? It’s not to tell you that I’m deathly afraid of tornadoes, though now you know!
See the thing about being home again means that I’m filling my ears with more country music. It’s all my dad listens to and having grown up on it, country definitely has a soft spot in my heart. And as I was driving around the other day, Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” came on the radio. Have you heard it?
While the story behind this song is very sad and a bit disturbing (and the puppy in the sunny field after the storm just seems weird), it still got me thinking because what’s really blowing everything away is a tornado. And like I said, I do not like (as I’m sure no one does) and am deathly afraid of tornadoes. But despite it all, I like the song.
Also, I think it’s safe to say I will never be a storm chaser.
I hate storms too!! I can see why you would be terrified of tornadoes! I do love me some Carrie Underwood though!
I like thunderstorms but as soon as the word tornado comes in the picture – I want NOTHING to do with it!