When The Lights Come Back On

We always need rain.

Here in Austin, as in many places around the country, we have suffered a string of 100+ degree days. The heat is smothering. Depressing. And a constant sunburn threat to my shaved head.

So tonight when a heavy rainstorm began to fall, we all looked out the windows as if some miracle was occurring. Something we had never seen. And the rain continued...and continued...and continued.

The wind whipped across the porch. It sounded like a monster was loose in the attic. Then, the power went out.

Every time the power goes out, there is a very brief moment of panic. What if it doesn't come back on? What are we going to do all night? I was working out when the power went out, and it killed my internet, and thus, my streaming television show. The workout became much harder after that.

So, I grabbed my flashlight, picked up a book, and went to sit on the porch. A man needs to hear the rain sometimes. It settled me. It awakened me. I became lost in Ray Bradbury's 'Dandelion Wine', an ode to summertime, and an exploration of what it means to be a boy on the cusp of manhood. (RIP, Ray.) And just when life seemed right, the power came back on.

It's always disappointing when the lights come back on.