"I don't see why everyone is so afraid of this."

      Last night, there was an intense thunderstorm. The lightning was insanely bright and the thunder was absolutely piercing. The patter of the rain pounding the pavement outside was so calming and exhilarating at the same time. I accompanied two of my friends on their laundry run, but once we stepped out the door (my good friends will understand this next part) I demanded that my friend hold my cellphone and I darted out into the heavy downpour in my fuzzy slippers and no jacket. I tilted my head back and squealed with delight. There were a few guys standing out there already with raincoats on, hoods up and umbrellas deployed. Across the quad, one whistled at me and another called me crazy. I didn't care. I was in bliss. It was freezing, but it was amazing.

       I spun in circles letting the near-frozen drops pelt my face when a young man appeared from the dark wind tunnel. His body language hinted that he knew me, but I had never seen him before. I soon realized that he was a complete stranger just happy to see someone as excited about the rain as he.

      "I don't see why everyone is so afraid of this," he said as he nearly walked past me, but backed up a step, watching another lightning bolt stream across the orange sky.

      "Me neither; it's so beautiful!" I exclaimed, watching with him.

      We stood there not saying a word, just taking in all that the storm was giving to us, complete strangers united by one enormous surrounding factor. He laughed as he realized that I was out there in my fuzzy cheetah-print slippers, kicking at the three-inch-deep puddle in which we were standing. I explained how excited I was to see such a wonderful storm, and I wasn't planning on coming outside, but I couldn't help myself when I got to the door. He seemed to share in my impromptu joy with a smile. He began to depart, but stopped himself. "Aw, what the heck?" he said and opened his arms taking another step toward me. I accepted his damp embrace, and he jogged off into the dark abyss from which he once emerged.

      I love strangers. I always have and I always will.

 

I was super-excited to be drenched in rain. I absolutely love the rain.

The storm was so bad that the tunnels flooded. Cool, right?