For the Scaredy-Cats

Dear Weather.com,
You are telling me there is a Tornado Watch for my County right at this moment.
I believe you.

It's not a question about if they will form. It is a question about when will I die.

I should probably bring some cans to the basement just in case of an emergency. 

Thanks for always being there for me to encourage my irrational behavior.

                                                                         Best,

                                                                         Kelly

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Real Life stories from Kelly Anne Baker-Trapps life (oh yes, this will be terribly pathetic):

Classic Example #1:

There was a severe thunderstorm while I was at my best friend Caitie's house in 2004. I was 14. I normally love storms, but of course I had to look on the internet to find out whether or not I would make it. Weather.com stated that we were under a Tornado Warning. 

I demanded that we flee to the basement. She laughed, but followed me anyway (I should also mention she was 12 at this time). The sirens went off. I started sprinting towards safety. I dramatically opened her door and flung myself into the fetal position while covering myself with all of her clothes and fluffy objects. 

Classic Example #2:

When I was probably 10,  my hometown was under a Tornado Watch. Most of my family was home, my dad and older brother were watching the storm on our deck, my mom was making dinner and my older sister and her now husband Greg were sitting in the basement watching a movie (not because of the weather). Naturally, I was making shelter in the back room. Since I had tinier arms, I had to make several trips to the pantry to get all of the necessary items. Cans, fruit, gallons of water, blankets, pillows, my blanket, and flashlights.  At any rate, I had to walk past them to get to my unbreakable shelter. I remember them laughing at me and telling me it wasn't a big deal. How could they? Of course they would have to thank me after I would save their butts.It is clear who the sane person in the situation was.

Classic Example #3:

LAST YEAR. My roommate Caitlin and I were sitting in our apartment talking, but I was very distracted by the ominous sky outside. I quickly looked on weather.com and it told us that a tornado was spotted. NO. This would be the time that a tornado would kill me. 

Obviously. 

I convinced Caitlin of our untimely demise, so we grabbed our college mattresses and jumped in the tub and threw those springy life savers over our heads. 

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My friend Wes just walked into my living room and I said, "WILL YOU STAY HERE SINCE THERE IS A TORNADO WATCH." Clearly the more people that are around me, the more calm I become.

He said,"No. If there's a tornado, I'm going to find it. Collect it. Slay it, and bring it's head to the Town Hall and get an award."

Most people feel this way. Maybe not that brave, but at least they don't care about it as much as me. You know why? Because if I have lived through 30 tornado warnings, then the chances of living through the next one is highly possible. I mean, the logic behind that claim isn't totally solid. But, based off my experience, it has been the case that weather.com has been totally off the mark, or even on the mark and I have still made it. That should be at least cause for less panic. Am I right? 

I feel as if my husband Michael acts appropriately. Whenever the situation arises of a possible tornado, he says, "We're fine." Because, at that moment we are. Then if a siren does go off, we walk to the basement (he might even stand on the porch for awhile).

 No flinging. No fetal positions. No cans of beans. 

( I will always grab something fluffy just in case)

Here's the problem: I decide to work myself up. I decide to check weather.com and make sure that I'm right about my impending doom. I decide to plaster my face against the window and make sure that I'll see the first sign of that tornado. 

How strange and dramatic.

 I have a hunch that it is true of all you scaredy-cats out there as well. Whatever the fear may be, the response is:  I will curl up and make it terrible for myself by expecting the worst- even when it has proven to not be true in the past. The scaredy-cat can't even conceive of other possibilities. 

Today my dear friends, I say this to my fear and to weather.com:

Thank you Nacho.

I will now go read.

But really, if you gravitate towards being irrationally afraid of something, try and realize that other people are surviving and that you might possibly be making it worse for yourself.

**Disclaimer: for people that may actually have an anxiety disorder, none of this is meant for you. This is for those of you (and myself) that know they are genuinely overreacting.