The Tornado Warning Cycle

I was born in Tornado Alley, an area that encompasses Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. I live just a few miles from where I lived most of my childhood. I remember standing outside watching the sky as the storms were forming during tornado watches and tornado warnings. I still do that, and I did that earlier this evening. You may know the difference between tornado watches and tornado warnings. Tornado watches just mean the conditions are favorable for a tornado to form. Warnings are when a tornado has been sighted. Our next-door neighbors had a tornado shelter in their front yard. There were no basements in our neighborhood. These were all "ranch" style houses with no basements. Anyway, we used to go next door to our neighbor's when they announced the warning. I live in an apartment complex now and there is no tornado shelter anywhere around, which maybe ought to be illegal. Everyone who experienced the tornado of 1966 will never forget its devastation, but the majority of tornados are not that catastrophic. Not saying they are not dangerous and destructive. They are. But just for me, personally, I have lived out of state a lot and recently the majority of the storms seem to have passed over us lately, for which I am very grateful. I lived in Osage City, south of Topeka, in 2006, and the storms are typically worse there, as, in fact, they are now, still threatening Osage County. I hear the weather man on TV mentioning all the towns in Osage County that I am familiar with and sometimes I think of how close I would be watching this if I still lived there, because I worked for the new newspaper, the Osage County Herald, which later merged with the Osage County Chronicle to become the current Osage County Herald-Chronicle. It's been cloudy and windy most of the day and now after a tornado watch, tornado warning and a thunderstorm, the sun decides to come out right at the time scheduled for the sunset. The tornado warning for Osage County eventually expired, but there was still storm activity in other areas. This is normal for May and June. I've lived in Louisiana during hurricane season and Kansas during tornado season and it is just what we expect for this time of year. The storms have passed for now and it's finally dark outside. I have decided to spend less time worrying about the news and instead just learn to enjoy life and try to find and do the will of God. I am reminded of Ecclesiastes chapter 3, especially the following: "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 3:13). Well, actually, a lot more than just this verse, but I'm coming to the end of my allotted space and time. I am thinking that there is so little that I have any control over with respect to world affairs, and, therefore, why should I expend precious energy trying so hard to keep up with all of it? It's like after a tornado watch, a tornado warning, a thunderstorm and a sunset, a tornado watch still remains in effect. There is little or nothing I can do about a tornado watch (or anything else) but live my life before the Lord and tend to my own garden, and with that I will get ready to retire and enjoy peaceful sleep, and wish you the same. Goodnight. There is little or nothing I can do about a tornado watch (or anything else) but live my life before the Lord and tend to my own garden, and with that I will get ready to retire and enjoy peaceful sleep, and wish you the same. Goodnight.