Roll of Thunder, Hear My . . . Typing

The other night I awoke to a thunderstorm that took my breath away.

It was my first experience with for-really-truly rolling thunder.

There was a bright flash of lightning somewhere near my house, and then the thunder came. It was loud and booming, but rather than fading away or echoing slightly to areas around; it literally rolled further and further away. The sound reminded me of a really long sonic boom. Yes, I actually said, “Wow”.

As I lay there, trying to figure out exactly how I would put the experience into words (in case I ever needed it for a story) another thought occurred to me. I think in that moment I understood what it really means to be a writer. Actually, not just a writer but anyone whose life is wrapped up in the arts. Maybe, just maybe, those who paint, sing, sculpt, write, those of us who try to share creativity with the world, have experienced something about this life and this world that left us in awe.

It may be positive, it may be negative, but I think there must have been at least one experience with life that has taken our breath away. That is the seed that sparks our spirit with an overwhelming desire to share the experience with someone else. There is a part of us that screams, “See! Look! Experience life! Love, laugh, cry! Isn’t it a wonderful experience?”

Here’s praying there will always be people who wake up in the middle of the night in awe of a thunderstorm and then do their best to share that beauty with the rest of the world. The “Wow” moments are what make life worth living.