Disappointed

When you grow up in Oklahoma, you have a certain expectation when you hear words like "warning," "thunderstorm," and "stay indoors." You also grow to expect certain things upon hearing thunder. Eventually, you learn to fully believe the weatherman when he says that it will most certainly storm today, even if it's the middle of January. Crazier things have happened in Tornado Alley. Here in Hawaii, there is much disappointment to be had for the native Oklahoman.

I might have heard the weatherman say there would be storms today. I just brushed it off. Yesterday, we were guaranteed rain and I do believe it rained for 20 minutes on my side of the island before the clouds cleared. Since I was forced to stay home today thanks to good ole Aunt Flo instead of going to the museum, I saw a fictional ray of light when I heard the first rumble of thunder. Finally my day was looking up!!

I watched as dark clouds made their way toward my house, hoping they would bring lots of thunder and rain. There's nothing quite as satisfying as being home while it's pouring down rain and storming. We "crazy" Oklahomans like to sit on our porches and watch these storms as if it were simply rain. In fact, I did this a lot as a child. We'd all sit on the porch, listening to the thunder, watching the lightning and rain. I won't lie that I would jump at loud claps of thunder. I still do when I'm at home, where the real storms are.

After a while, it started to rain but even that didn't last long. The thunder would rumble every once and a while, but it was nothing exciting. I didn't see any lightning, but maybe that's because it was daylight and it doesn't get as dark here during storms as it does at home. After an hour or so, the thunder stopped altogether. It's sad. I was all geared up for some serious thunder and all of the rain that those "flash flood warnings" had predicted earlier.

Only an hour ago did the lightning start appearing. I can still hear some low rumbles of thunder, but it's disappointing. I know that the east (?) side of the island is getting hit hard with the rain, but I would at least like something to happen over here!! The best storm we've had all season was when Joe was home on R&R. It was absolutely pouring, the thunder was loud and crackly and there was a fair amount of lightning. It was almost like being home. Joe even laughed at me because I was jumping around all excited and even took a video of it. 


What can I say? I'm an Oklahoma girl, raised where summer nights were spent in cellars or bathtubs, listening to the weather radio and watching my dad "stand guard" watching the storm. I was woken up by many a tornado siren during the middle of the night and forced to run across the backyard into the safety of the storm cellar. Our schools all but shut down when Severe Thunderstorm Warnings/Tornado Watches were issued. When in a random store during a bad storm, we would think of places to hide just in case. One night after church - while Joe and I were engaged - I went home with him (because his house was closer) and hid in his parents' hallway closet with him, my SIL, my nephew and my MIL for a good 2-3 hours before the storm had passed. I'm used to hail, 60 mph winds, the loudest thunder you've ever heard, funnel clouds, wall clouds and pouring rain. So this - this rumbly thunder and sprinkling rain - is highly disappointing. 


When can I go home again?!


Here's hoping an awesome thunderstorm is waiting for me the next time I travel to Oklahoma. ;-)