I think I’ve found a label for one of the problems I’ve developed in recent years: brontophobia, a fear of lighting and thunderstorms. It’s also called astraphobia, keraunophobia, or tonitrophobia.
And the headline on this article is my lame attempt at humor, playing of the name of the Greek god of thunder (Bronte) off of the Bronte sisters, a couple of wonderful English writers. I love a good pun. Although most of the puns I make are admittedly questionable.
What little I’ve learned about brontophobia I’ve learned online, using Google and Google News again. I’ve learned that it’s pretty common in children, although it seems to make a resurgence as people age. (I’ll be 63 in a few months.)
In my case, I think at least part of the problem relates to storm experiences I’ve had — bad experiences, but not horrible compared to some! — all of my life. Most of my life has been lived on or near the Plains region, with ample opportunities for thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding, etc. A few years ago, we had a serious roof problem that culminated in water POURING into our upstairs bathroom in the middle of the night. That roof’s been replaced, however, and my wife assures me all is well. We haven’t had any leaks since, nevertheless, I keep a wary eye turned upward anytime rain starts.
Suppose I should seek some sort of counseling or help with all this. On the other hand, without health insurance, any sort of counseling or drug treatment would cost considerably more, I suspect, than OTC headache remedies or fat burners!
Nope, for now, I just screw up my courage, face old Bronte head on when she starts slinging the lightning bolts or pounding the clouds — and hide under the bed with the cat.