tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124766788132348882.post3490391708303248218..comments2023-09-14T18:30:04.264-04:00Comments on Rita's Not-So-Daily Word: Paying Attention in Class Saved Family’s LifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124766788132348882.post-31167287119226200642012-08-21T17:04:45.066-04:002012-08-21T17:04:45.066-04:00I think it was the summer between third and fourth...I think it was the summer between third and fourth grade when this happened, so that would have made it third grade when one of our classes was a health and safety one.<br /><br />As my mom worked the evening shift at Delco-Remy (division of GM here in Anderson, IN), I was in my dad's care during that time, and we enjoyed lots of fun activities together with one of the summer ones being to go swimming at a place called Ryan's Lake.<br /><br />This was around a half-hour's drive from home, and a small admission fee was required to spend all or part of a day there.<br /><br />We had just gotten into the water when I noticed lightning in the distance. I told him that we needed to get out of the water because I had just seen lightning, and we might get struck by it, if we stayed in the water.<br /><br />Daddy wasn't too concerned about this, reassuring me that this was happening several miles away and, likely, wouldn't even be traveling our way.<br /><br />However, I stood my ground telling him that I had learned in health and safety class that swimming when there was lightning close enough to see it was dangerous.<br /><br />He said that he didn't see any reason to leave the water but he would if I insisted. He said that we would sit in the car and wait to see what happened rather than giving up on the day. After all, we had just gotten there and had already paid our admission.<br /><br />We walked back to the car and got in. There were people still swimming, and he said that he was afraid that we were losing time out in the water over nothing, so was I sure that I didn't want to go out there and get back into the water until there was actually a storm right over us.<br /><br />I told him that would be too risky and reminded him that I had learned this at school--so he humored me and went along with my wishes to sit in the car.<br /><br />Soon, we saw more lightning--and, this time, we could hear thunder. Soon, some raindrops began to fall on our windshield. Then more raindrops, lightning, and thunder showed up, and we realized that it was time to go.<br /><br />While we were still on the road to exit the grounds of Ryan's Lake, we saw the hugest lightning bolt that I had ever seen. It looked to be at least half as wide as our car and went from way up in the sky down to the ground!!!<br /><br />Daddy told me that I'd turned out to be right, and that I was a smart little girl to have paid attention in class!!!Ainsley_Jo_Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03211794586864539674noreply@blogger.com