I've Seen Lightning and I've Seen Rain

Since I had to park in the West lot after returning from lunch and getting duct tape for Spring Loaded, I left work at 4:20 yesterday. I didn't leave early cause I thought in the next 10 minutes flooding may occur and I wouldn't be able to get home. No, it is due to my knees and their inability to bend so that I could run or walk fast to get to my car in the rain storm and occasional lightning. The rain was only getting worse and I have this irrational fear I am going to be struck by lightning. My grandfather was struck by lightning and lived. According to the story his rubber boots is what saved his life. He was out in the field plowing. Now I find it ironic that he was struck by lightning after hearing a story for the first time last year about my grandfather. We were celebrating a birthday at dinner and I casually mentioned I was so glad that grandpa had the foresight to get out of Kentucky to find work instead of staying behind in the family business of coal mining. My dad informed us that grandpa didn't leave to seek fame and fortune, he and his brothers had to get the heck out of dodge because they had killed a man. WHAT???? They were members of a gang, The Possum Hunters. The Possum Hunters went around punishing men who treated their families bad by beating them up and scaring them half to death. There was one man who they repeatedly visited because he wasn't taking care of his family. So one night they thought they would scare him something fierce. They took him to the coal mine and hooked him up the the electric car that went in and out of the mine. The intention was to give him just a little juice to shock him, but they gave him too much and killed him. Now this is where the story gets fuzzy in it's telling. They hired an attorney and I don't know if he got them off or just told them to scatter. Anyway, my grandpa and uncles left for greener pastures in Illinois and Indiana. So isn't it ironic that he was struck by lightning.

I had never heard anything like this. I asked one of my cousins if she had ever heard this story. To tell you the truth, I was shocked...no pun intended. At the completion of the story, Roy said leave it to a bunch of Baptists to run around and administer justice. (Roy was raised Catholic) I told him, grandpa didn't get saved until moving to Illinois. So it wasn't a bunch of gang banging Baptists. Of course one of the first things I did was to call Lisa P and tell her, "yo, my G pa was a gang banger... from the Ken-tuc-e-i-e." I am glad my grandpa met the Lord. I always knew him as one of the kindest and loving men. He taught me to throw a baseball like a boy and he would tell me story upon story to entertain me when I was little. This is the man who would take my cousins and me to the amusement park Joyland. My grandpa served the Lord faithfully. Now it makes sense, he would say to me, always be careful of what group you join up with. Because getting out of that organization may cost you more than you have to give."

Well, I totally got off track telling that story. It wasn't even my intent. I was telling you about bad knees and irrational fear of lightning. Anyway, I was able to get home before the heavens declared the glory of God by pouring out rain. Of course rain is a great segway into what I did last night, downloaded some music from Itunes and a couple of the songs were off of Purple Rain. So last night I was rocking to the rhythm of the night (dang, I forgot about DeBarge) with songs like When Doves Cry, Little Red Corvette, Best of my Love, Can't Touch This, Solid, I Feel For You, Stay With Me Tonight, and a few other 80's early 90's tunes. It wasn't funny when I woke up in the middle of the night with this stuck in my head, ohhh, ohhhh.....stop! Hammer time! I've been around the world from London to the bay.... None of my creaky dance moves even phased Roy. He was too focused on some show on TV. But, I had a great hour or so loving me some music than mainly brought back good memories. There was a song or two that reminded me of sad times. Isn't if funny how a song can take us back to a moment and a memory. It was an odd mix of downloading. Between all the 80's stuff, I downloaded some Christian music.

I am going back to the office later today. Have a few loose ends to tie up for Spring Loaded. The weather is going to be wonderful with a high in the low 70's.

I leave you with this song. My brother and I would go to clubs just to dance. We cleared out more than a few dance floors as we busted a move. This was one of our favorites to dance to. We were good.