I grew up in the Midwest, where tornado season blew in every year with its warning tickers on the TV and sirens across the city. I remember afternoons spent watching cartoons with my “Go Basket” next to me filled with the essentials – my best flashlight, my most beloved book, my favorite stuffed animal. I remember middle-of-the-night runs to the basement where my PJ-clad parents shepherded us – sleepy kids, barking dogs – into the cold safety of the basement. I remember the calm, sickly grey-green the sky always turned before the winds came. And, as I’m writing this, back in my childhood home, there is a tornado watch for the county until 6 a.m. Luckily, while there were touchdowns around my city, one never hit us. And there was never anything the scope of what happened in Oklahoma yesterday. Explain the convergence of high and low atmospheric pressure systems all you want, but it still feels a lot like fury. My thoughts are with all those who lost more than they can bear. Heal from unspeakable grief, rebuild from unbelievable devastation. May you emerged stronger from the storm and find your rainbow again.
p.s. How to help those in Oklahoma.
Hope all is well in your hometown, DS
ReplyDeleteAwww, you lived in tornado land too. I liked your writing on this subject Dorothy Gale. Brings back my own memories of childhood waiting through "bad weather" all the time. Remember those quiet moments just before the tornado zooms through? It is a eerie, telling silence. Very scary. To this day, eerie silences warn me about a whole list of things.
ReplyDeleteYou could piece a time-line together of what I valued most in my life by what I would bring down to the basement with me as a child. St. Louis and the county I lived in had a few close calls but no deaths. Storms were exciting but mostly terrifying and watching the aftermath in Oklahoma made me weep for those people but especially those children. I can't imagine how horrifying that was and based on my experience helping out in Joplin, Missouri it's hard to believe what these things can do to a town. Everyone should donate and help clear debris if they're close by. Every hand helps
ReplyDeleteI don't know what parts of these here midwestern states you're from but if you have a chance, you should check out Dirty Dorothy who is an entertainer in Kansas City. I wanted to post a video for you but I couldn't find one appropriate enough to associate with my name on a public blog. Dorothy, who is actually played by local stage performer (and out lesbian) Jessica Dressler, hosts drag shows 3 nights a week and occasional takes the show on the road to gay bars in the tri-state area.
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