Storm Chasers

Heather and I were doing our evening ritual of "flipping," killing time until our eyes get heavy, when we stumbled across one of those "storm chaser" shows. You know the type: A crazy man in an old two-tone Ford Econoline van carries a very shaky Blair witch camera to film tornadoes, hurricanes, or other wild storms across the flat lands of Kansas. Auntie 'Em may not fly by in these shows, but we do see some strange Unidentified Flying Objects, for sure! (Remember the cow scenes in 'Twister?')

I wonder, what makes a person crazy enough to actually pursue a storm? When the rest of us are running from the winds, what makes someone chase after them? And what do they think they will do if they actually catch the storm? What possesses a person to put himself in danger just to lay eyes on a killer?

Then again, don't we sometimes catch ourselves doing the same thing: Chasing storms? Whether it's an irritated customer, disgruntled coworker, or upset spouse, why can't we let enough alone? We know there's a storm brewing, we've seen similar storms and the resulting melee, and we know we should simply run, but we still chase it. What's up with that anyway?

Take some advice from a dummy: Bite the bullet. Cut your losses. Choose your battles and let her (or him) every now and then. The storm will fade when it has enough open space to wear itself down. Make it a point NOT to chase the storm this week - your spouse will appreciate it!

--PA