I'm Proud

Tragedy and heartache are a part of life. That's just the way things go. It can be a harder fact to deal with when it hits close to home.
I didn't lose anything but time on May 20, 2013. I spent nearly 9 hours of the day glued to the television, searching the internet, trying to find ways I can help the Heartland. Newcastle, Moore and south OKC was hit by an EF4 tornado that was compared to the May 3, 1999 tornado that came bearing down on Moore and south OKC.
We are without power and water, we are stranded in our own homes due to debris and traffic, we are searching for loved ones, we are grieving for those whom we have never met but whom have been lost to Heaven.
This wicked twister hit two schools. One school was able to account for every student and teacher. The second school was not so lucky. All of the 4-6th graders were taken to a local church before the storm hit, but the (possible pre-k) students up to 2nd grade remained at the school. Here in Oklahoma, we get in the hallway, put our heads between our knees and cover our necks. We pray that it's nothing serious (and most of the time, it's just the sirens and maybe some wind), we think about our toys and our mommy's and daddy's. Living where I live, we sat in the hallway, pretended to have our heads between our knees for a couple of minutes before getting restless and making noise.
Tornadoes are a fact of life in Oklahoma. From the panhandle in the west to Missouri and Arkansas in the east. From the Red River to the plains of Kansas. We are no strangers to tornadoes and their devastation. Many people were here in 1999 and what did they do? They rebuilt on the very same land. They, along with the rest of us, never imagined that we would be here 14 years later. And what's going to happen in the months to come? You got it, we are going to rebuild once more.
That's what it means to be an Oklahoman. We are among the first to respond to any disaster, because we were raised on hard work and compassion. We give everything we have, no matter how little it may seem, because we were raised on giving to those in need and kindness. We take care of those who are suffering, because we were raised to be fighters and friends.
I may not live in an area of Oklahoma that gets hit by tornadoes often, but I am a born and raised Okie by almost every definition of the word. I even get the accent when I get really pissed off. Debris, darkness, rain and cold will not deter us from finding people who are waiting for our helping hand. It also won't keep us from finding the angels who have already left us so we can honor them properly.
There are a lot of things we need to change in the Midwest, in areas that are often in the path of Mother Nature's wrath. Schools need to have storm shelters - STANDARD. The "tuck-n-hide" method obviously doesn't work. Businesses need to be made out of more than aluminum and bricks. Tornado season, luckily, isn't one that everyone has to face nor does it last long. But the scars will remain for many, many years to come. Not just on our hearts, but on the land. We will not bow down to Mother Nature, we will not give up our homeland. It can be blown away, torn to shreds. Our lives may be changed forever, but we will not walk away from the place called Oklahoma.
I am an Oklahoman. And I'm damn proud of it.