the usefulness of a stay-at-home umbrella

A Tale of Weather Woe

So I walked to class late yesterday afternoon under the cover of blue skies, whistling into the humid air.

Two-and-a-half hours later: I walk out of the building and straight into a weather advisory storm. No kidding: lightning, thunder, heavy rain, and winds so strong there's outdoor restaurant chairs flying toward me down State Street. And let's remember: I've not been too fond of storms since traveling through Joplin Missouri this past summer, experiencing the aftermath of their very BIG weather event of 2011.

But what can a girl do, when she's walked the 1.5 miles to campus for her very first class of the semester, with nothing but an empty notebook and (apparently) misguided optimism about the weather?

So there I am, running down State Street, dodging fallen branches, flying debris, and the occasional dead bird on the sidewalk, shoes squishing with every step, when suddenly the street lamps go out. I hear loud exclamations from fellow pedestrians, and we all note with relief that the traffic lights are still working. I decide to ditch my usual route (which takes me down several not-so-busy and DEFINITELY not as safe roads) and run straight for the capitol. As I cross over one of the busier intersections, the air is suddenly filled with hoots and yells. There's a group of guys running straight through the street and the storm, wearing nothing but boxers and U.S flags around their necks. Thank you, rush week, for keeping us classy.

I hit capitol square and hear sirens going down E. Johnson. And at that exact moment I happen to look to my right; there's a group of people huddled on the steps of the Wisconsin Department of Justice building. This group is made up of American Apparel-wearing students, people in business suits, vagrants hugging their packs, tourists in sandals and fanny packs; you name it, they're there, trying to find shelter under the awning of this architecturally beautiful building. As I run by I take a mental snapshot, dodging puddles, wobbly bikers, and frantic motorists trying to exit the capitol loop.

And all the sudden the complete ridiculousness of the entire situation hits me. I'm running through the streets in the middle of a lightning/rain/wind storm, and all I can think about is my stupid umbrella sitting on the bottom of my bedroom closet. The umbrella that would've only made me an easier object for the wind to catch and blow into the side of a building.

I stop in my tracks. And laugh. Out loud. In the pitch black, in the middle of the street.

My hair is dripping in my face, my white socks are now black, and I'm shivering with the cold.

And I'm having the time of my life.