Born and Bred Okie

Most of you know I'm a self proclaimed Meteorologist.  I've been fascinated by weather since I was 6 years old and never stopped loving it.  If you don't know me, you may get upset by my excitement when it comes to severe weather.  I will say things like "YEEEEHAWWW" or "Git-R-Done."  I don't mean this in any disrespect.  It's just the way I show my feelings for something that gets my adrenaline pumping.

I've seen many tornadoes.  Some up close, others far away.  Some I only see the debris falling from the sky due to an insane tornado 30 miles away.  Either way, tornadoes are my favorite.  Not in the, you just had your house and everything you owned blown away, but in the WOW what an amazing act of nature.  Something no one can completely predict.

I've always been home.  I've always been able to walk outside and FEEL if a tornado was going to hit.  I would even dream about it the night before.  It's crazy, I know.  But I did.  Maybe that's why I love tornadoes so much.  Any time a tornado came through, we always helped.  We cut up trees, we cleared debris, we made meals, we donated clothes... we helped.  I've seen it up close.  I've never lost anything in a tornado, but I've had plenty of friends and family who have.  I know.  I understand.

11 days ago, I watched as a storm rolled in to central Oklahoma.  I was doing this all late at night here in Sicily.  I watched as a tornado formed over Lake Thunderbird (AKA: Dirty Bird) and raced east.  I knew in my heart when the tornado hit our friends neighborhood.  There was huge, multiple power flashes at one time.  And I just knew it was them.  I had alerted a friend before the storm hit her house via facebook, but I'm not sure she got it.  I messaged another friend as soon as I saw the power flashes.  I knew. 

Sure enough, 2 military FAMILIES lost their houses.  Yes, families.  You don't hafta be bluuud to be familee.  (Imagine me saying that as redneck as possible).  The tornado raced towards many others that I know and love.  Luckily, they were spared.

The next day, May 20, is the tornado everyone knows about.  The EF-5 that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma killing innocent men, women, children and babies.  Just devastating news.  I stayed up until after 4:00am my time waiting to hear if one of the guys Chris worked with at TAFB found his family.  His wife and kids were missing.  I couldn't sleep until I knew they were found.  Safe. 

I can't explain the emotion I went through during those two days.  As soon as the storms turned tornadic, I began to cry.  I cried big, huge tears.  They streamed down my face and soaked my shirt.  I was constantly updating my facebook weather page and praying.  I've never felt so helpless in my life.  At home, we did help.  As soon as the storms passed, we were there.  Here, I was nothing.  I was a person, half a world away, crying.  And typing on Facebook.

I felt really guilty about the May 20 tornado.  I still do. I'm always on here typing away about storms on stormy days.  I get a lot of flack from people about my constant texts and updates about storms that people obviously know about.  But for some reason, I have this tug in my heart that I just HAVE to tell them.  Because WHAT IF I don't.  What if I don't and they didn't know and something bad happens.  That happened on May 20th.  We had some people come over to our house and I shut my laptop.  I turned my phone on silent.  I didn't pay attention.  I posted an update on my personal page from our school at home, LCA, about school closing early.  I should have known when that happened, it was serious.  I now know what it feels like when I don't.  It's heart wrenching.  The school closed 2 hours before the tornado hit Moore.  They were following the Mid-Del and Tinker school closings.  That's what I always hated about storms in Oklahoma during April and May.  It's always when school is getting out or when you're getting off of work.  I've driven around to 3 different schools getting 4 children (none were mine, btw) before school has let out because of the threat of storms.  I wish I would have been home to do that for people.  I wish I would have told our guests how happy I was to have them but to please excuse me, I have weather to attend too.  I wish... What if....  I turned my laptop on and within 10 minutes the tornado started to form and was on the ground.  The rest is history. 

This is what Okie's do.  We come together and fight.  You're either a Sooner or a Cowboy.  But you all love OKC Thunder.  You drive across the state to help a family you've never met pick up their pieces.  You hold the door open for others.  You say "Yessir" and "Thank ya mam'."  We say "ya'll."  We pray before our games.  Our teachers look at their children they're holding in from a tornado and tell them "I LOVE YOU."  (I'm crying now, btw).  We CRY.  Grown men WEEP at the generosity of others.  We drive BIG trucks.  We wear boots with everything.  Our children learn how to shoot a gun.  How to be around a gun.  PROTECT their families with guns.  We give our only shirt we own to someone else who lost theirs.  OKIE'S come back.  We come to our home state and GIVE.  I am BLOWN AWAY at how many people call Oklahoma HOME when they aren't from there.  I've noticed when you ask people where they're from you'll get "State Name.  But originally from Different State Name."  The true Okie's will always say they're from Oklahoma.  And if you're not originally from Oklahoma but call Oklahoma HOME, you're an Okie too.  We eat watermelon with salt on it while sitting under the tree.  We leave our trucks and houses unlocked.  We don't knock and wait for you to answer the door, we knock alerting you that we're coming in so you can grab your shorts because more than likely, you're in your underwear watching TV.  We never meet a stranger.  Our kids learn to drive a "stick" at the age of 5 sitting on your lap.  Everything is a "COKE" when you're thirsty. You just have to specify what flavor you want.  Yes, we measure distant in time and when we go shopping we're going to "town."  All those little things you read, is true.  It is. 

I've watch where celebrities from OK have donated, helped clean up, visited hospitals.  I mean, that's so awesome.  The Thunder players are posting on their facebook about helping their HOME.  It's so amazing to see.  I really wish I could have seen the Healing in the Heartland tribute.  It sold out within minutes of going on sale.  I had a lot of friends who attended and everyone else watched it on TV.  Apparently it was a big tear jerker.  I hope I'll get to see it soon!

 This past week the most amazing feeling happened.  I realized I was a "Born and Bred Okie."  And that's one of the best feelings in the world.  I watched online as everyone started to come together.  I was texting people who were racing to our friends houses to help.  I watched as everyone starting coming together.  People who aren't from Oklahoma suddenly became Okie's. And it's very true GOD blessed OKLAHOMA.