Friday, June 08, 2007

Struck not once but twice!


There's a storm brewing outside tonight. I hear the rumbling thunder and if you go outside you can see lightning off in the distance. Of course this time of year in Georgia, things can get pretty noisy and scary looking and not a drop of rain will fall and the next thing you know, it's quiet again. Looks like what may be happening tonight.

Here's an interesting piece of personal trivia. BOTH of my grandfathers were struck by lightning. It didn't kill either of them. They were both young men when it happened. My maternal grandfather was out pumping water from the well. My paternal grandfather was drunk and sitting on the porch when he got struck.

Being the odds ,according to statistics I read, of getting struck by lightning in the USA are 576,000 to one, it always kind of amazed me that both of them were struck.

I usually like to tell this story while I standing near someone outside, watching lightning flash off in the distance. It's amazing how they always move a little further away.

It's not genetic for goodness sakes! Unless you consider how dumb it is to be outside during a lightning storm. Ummmm.

4 comments:

Marcie said...

Robbin, My paternal great grandfather was struck by lightening. I never knew him, but family members always said he was "like a child" after the lightening strike, but he did live to tell about it.

I love how you told this story... "drunk and sitting on the porch"... lol! You're a good storyteller!

Linda said...

That is amazing that both of your grandfathers were struck by lightening.
I love a good thunderstorm but we rarely get any in So. Calif.

Robbin said...

Aisling, I never knew either of my grandfathers either and the story goes that my paternal grandfather was a mean man and after the lightning strike, he got meaner! My maternal grandfather was never quite the same either.

Robbin said...

Linda, I love a good thunderstorm too, really amazing to watch. But I have been driving during some around here that got a little intense, to the point where you couldn't see where you were going and that can get scary!