Thunderstorms

When I was very wee, Dad and I used to sit out on the front step of our little house in Naperville, Illinois and watch the thunderstorms come in. I loved sitting there with him - me so small, Dad so brave and dad-cool. I thrilled to see the lightning ricochet through the dark clouds. It was scary when the big bolts would hit the ground. But he'd sit with his arm around me while the thunder rumbled through the air and shook my innards. Then I wasn't afraid.

I guess that's might be why the storms at Camp Hitaga didn't bother me so much. They were just storms and they're beautiful. Of course, I knew that wind and tornadoes could come along with the rain, lightning and thunder, but it was just a part of the summertime. I don't recall that there was ever a time that we had to evacuate our tents and go to the dining hall for safety. We just hung out in those canvas tents and waited. Some girls would cry and I knew they were afraid, but I just tried to calm them down.

We drove through thunderstorms in Iowa and Missouri and I just - slept; had no clue it was blustery as Jack forged onward toward the Land of Kansas that claims Dorothy and all-things-Oz.

After a ten hour drive, we arrived in Manhattan, the town in which we once lived. The Flint Hills were lush and verdant green as we cruised north down Highway 177, now named the Coach Bill Snyder Highway. I scanned the horizon of the Konza Prairie for the bison that reside there on the last tall grass prairie stand that exists in the Midwest. The prairie was purchased for Kansas State University by the Nature Conservancy by funds provided by Katherine Ordway. The Ordway family was also behind the funding of the Ordway Theatre in downtown Saint Paul and oddly enough, the name of the recent Flint Hills International Children's Festival is connected to the Konza Prairie right here!

As things do, much has changed here since we moved to Minnesota. But some things never change. Manhattan is known as one of the friendliest towns of its size. People still gather all summer in the City Park for concerts every Friday evening for the Arts in the Park series. The City Pool, a central location for teens, families and students is undergoing an upgrade so it will soon have a wave pool, slides and other cool summery water fun. Any time of the day if one were to eat at a restaurant in Aggieville, the college-cool area near campus or downtown Manhattan, one would see all sorts of regular folks around town: friends, acquaintances, faculty, staff folks, city officials, attorneys, clergy, car sales people and just any ole person. Everyone fits in Manhattan. It's kind of laid back and casual. It's just fun!

Tonight after a little potluck some of our Aikido friends hosted for us, we headed back to the west side of town. The lighting in the clouds was back lighting the mountainous cloud bank. Thunderstorms in Manhattan, Kansas are spectacular. They usually roll in from the west-southwest over the Flint Hills of the Konza Prairie.

Things change and things stay the same...it's just a thing we live with yes? So, I'm thinking about my class tomorrow, going back to campus, meeting new folks, learning new names, making new friends, and feeling like - yet again - I'm on the verge of another adventure. Who knows where the learning will take me or what new discoveries lie ahead. All I know is that it's a blessing to be able to take some time away from my regular routine and harness myself to the ways of scholarship and student, if only for a week.

No biking tonight - I do draw the line when the lightning is making its presence mightily known. But tomorrow is a new biking day!