My friend Laura and I were on a fast paced walk through the forest preserve last night when we heard the first tornado siren. We quickly checked our location and found that we were 2.5 miles from our cars. It only took one look at each other and we were walking at a breakneck pace in the direction of the parking lot.

The conversation quickly turned to what we should do if the tornado hit while we were in the forest. Once we agreed on the plan, Laura asked if I was interested in running. The conversation stopped and our legs stretched forward at twice the speed.

We were making record time from any 5K we’d run together, but the additional speed was taking its toll on Laura’s injured knee from her last race. She shouted out that she had to stop.

My mind reeled with a question that I didn’t think would ever pop into my mind, “Do I sprint back to safety and let Laura get back on her own or do I stop?” Before the question had finished running through my mind, I realized that I had already stopped and turned to help her.

Laura looked at me and said, “Thank you.”

I found it interesting that I would have a survivor type question pop into my head, while I was in the middle of doing what was right for a friend. I couldn’t help but wonder how many other questions I’ve pondered that were based on natural instincts or survival, rather than being the right humane thing to do.

It didn’t take long for me to realize how powerful of a gift it is to lay down ones life for a friend. No wonder God did that with His son. He is truly the best friend anyone could have. So why don’t more desire to get to know Him?

My thoughts were interrupted when another tornado siren went off, but this time much closer to where we were. Laura asked if we should run again and I firmly said, “No, not yet. You need some recovery time.” We continued to walk quickly through the very dark canopy of trees.

Once we made it closer to a clearing and could see the mounting storm clouds approaching, we both picked up our pace into a light jog – then a quick run. Unfortunately we couldn’t maintain the speed past a half-mile with Laura’s injury screaming for ice. We slowed back to a fast walk.

A sudden blast from a nearby siren jolted us. It was ear piercing and a sign that we only had a half-mile left to go. We maintained our steady walk and I tried to comfort Laura in clarifying our position. Then another siren went off and another. It was clear that tornados were sighted in our area and we only had a couple minutes left until impact.

I silently prayed for God’s hand to hold back the storm and continued forward. A calm came and the trees stopped blowing. We looked at each other knowing fully well that the calm always comes before the blast of a storm.

The cars were in sight and we drove off in opposite directions, but not until after Laura asked what she should do if she sees a tornado while in the car. Heading down the street at faster speeds than posted, I wondered if I could make it home or if I’d have to get out of the car and find a gully or street sewer to hide in.

My phone rang and it was Laura sharing how she could see massive black clouds off to her left. “Her left?” I turned around and saw a twister forming over my right shoulder. It was moving in my exact direction. I said a quick prayer for our safety and told her that I had to hang up.

My foot hit the accelerator and I quickly calculated my 55 mph speed against a tornados 70+ mph speed and assessed if I’d have to get out of the car or if I could make it home. The stoplight turned red and I cut my wheels sharply to the right, cutting across the gas station and out the other side.

I put the metal to the floor and headed down a side street hoping that my outrageous speed would not cause me or anyone else harm. The town tornado siren went off, followed by the two surrounding town sirens. I looked in my rearview mirror and the tail was dipping down toward the ground.

The tornado was catching up with me, but I cut the wheel hard and took a left on two wheels, wondering if my speed or the tornado was lifting my car. I spun around the block and wondered if I should take time to back into my driveway or just pull in and get into the house. I had no idea why my thoughts were considering being presumptuous on God while I parked my car in a preferred manner. It was a ridiculous thought.

I pulled in straight forward and hopped out of my car. The siren a block away was so loud and nerve racking that I could barely find the right key. I unlocked the door and stepped inside. I could hear what sounded like a train going over my house and I looked outside. The trees were bent way over to the point were I thought they would snap.

The black swirl under the puke green sky dissipated before it touched down. Within two minutes it was over and followed by a deluge of rain. I was home and thankful. Then power went out and I decided to head to bed early.

It took ComEd over five hours to return our block to power, but thankfully I woke up to a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze. The excitement was over and I sighed. Trying to out run a tornado was very invigorating, but I think that I’ll pass up the next opportunity that might want to come my way.

Copyright © 2011 By CJ Powers
Photo © Chris White – Fotolia.com

One email I received this past weekend was from a woman wanting to know, “Why does it seem that men are superficial?”

Her question was in context of older men going after younger women. She thought there might be a major generational issue or barrier. If you read between the lines, she might have been wrestling with the issue of younger women stealing the men from her generation, leaving her far less prospects. Her actual concern was for those men going after women their children’s age and having to raise another family.

Having talked with numerous men on these topics, I feel that I can answer her questions without hesitation. First, the majority of men I know aren’t superficial. I’ve had conversations with men that have gone far deeper than I’ve had with some women. That’s not to say that women can’t hold their own with an in depth conversation, but men seem to have more guts to go deeper with certain topics.

Second, men are typically visual communicators, not verbal ones. When a woman assumes that a man is superficial, she is merely revealing her preference for verbal communication and her lack of understanding of the man’s visual language. If she were to study his visuals, she would quickly learn how specific and concise his communication is.

Of course, I must take a moment to point out that I’m writing in generalities, which will only hold true 80% of the time. Not to mention that some men communicate visually out of their subconscious thoughts and may not hold a complete understanding if forced to verbalize what comes natural for him visually. Although, they would eventually be able to translate the message, but it might take a few days, or more effort than the man might care to give to the situation.

Third, going after younger women is not about men being superficial, but rather about too many women giving up in life and settling down in their “old age,” while the men are looking for adventure, activity and fun.

I went on a date not too long ago with a woman who told me that she wanted to cut the date short so she could go to bed – It was at least two hours before the nightly news. When I asked her what types of activities she enjoyed like travel, biking, tennis, golf, dancing, club hopping, and so on, she responded, “Reading in my rocking chair, knitting on my sofa, and napping in my hammock.” She sounded way too old for me.

Men don’t want to call life quits until after they run out of energy. They are fighters that have a passion for fun and adventure. And, they want someone beautiful to share the adventure with. They don’t want a relic that is set in her ways and not flexible enough to have fun.

Remember those high school days when guys and girls worked the carwash fundraiser and everyone was flirting with each other? If a woman has gotten too “old” to flirt, have fun, or get wet at a carwash fundraiser, then the man will look for someone younger filled with life.

It’s not until after he’s got both hands on the walker that he stops attempting to tickle her. In fact, I know one guy so good at using his cane that he keeps his pinching hand available for the next spunky woman who shuffles past him and the retirement center.

Let’s not forget about the cougars out there – The older women stealing away the younger guys. These are women who figured out the visual language and are communicating very well with their young men. And, you’ll never catch a cougar trying to stay dry at a carwash fundraiser or chose a sedentary activity over an active lifestyle.

So, if an older woman wants and older man, they had both better be active or sedentary, because life is too precious not to live it fully until the day we have to stop. After all, the older “players” and “cougars” I know are just fun loving people looking to have a great time exploring life with an intimate friend.

Copyright © 2011 By CJ Powers
Photo © Kerhan – Fotolia.com

The train was crammed more than usual, as three prior trains were down for equipment repair. That meant extra stops and more people getting in with no seats available. Irritation was reflected on the faces of all around because our life patterns were altered.

In the mean time, I took it in stride and read about the comedians coming to Chicago for the weekend. I couldn’t help but wonder what type of jokes a comedian might share if he or she had been on the train. After all, weird things were happening like the conductor stating over the intercom, “And, the lady that ran around me at the last stop, shame on you.”

The train was so packed that the guy collecting the tickets couldn’t get into our car — A free train ride for all.

It was a perfect day to watch people’s behavior under stress. Many people tend to act in a very unorthodox manner when confronted with stress. A recent train newsletter talked about the woman last month who took off her blouse to put on deodorant.

Just last week minors were being a little too rambunctious after spending the day in downtown Chicago upset the man taking tickets. They were headed home on the train and didn’t even have enough money to buy a soft drink before our departure. Their exuberance got slightly loud and included a joke that climaxed with a profanity.

That was all the conductor needed to throw the kids off of the train at the next stop. As the train pulled out with the minors standing on a platform in a strange town, fear flooded their faces and they scrambled to find any money at the bottom of their pockets for a phone call.

One night I got to the station a bit early and climbed onto the train to get the best seat. I pulled out my iPad and played a few games while I waited. Then it dawned on me, no one else boarded the train. I figured the scheduled train shifted to a different track and I had boarded prior to the sign change.

I moved to the exit door and found myself locked in. After flipping a few levers, I noticed that a key switch was in the off position. I had to walk through every car toward the engine in hopes of finding someone with a key. The thought came to me that I was in the perfect set up for a horror film.

After opening a dozen heavy doors between cars (They are designed to open easier when in motion), I came upon a conductor reading a newspaper. His face turned white as I approached. He couldn’t fathom how I got onto a locked train. His color slowly returned once he realized I wasn’t a creature from The Walking Dead. He immediately let me out and told me which train to catch.

I never know what to expect riding the train, but I can tell you something unique or humorous will happen on Monday.

Copyright © 2011 By CJ Powers

Photo: © Scanrail – Fotolia.com