The Tornado Siren


I drove down the winding gravel road toward the white two story farmhouse to pick up Stevie for the day and bring him over to my house.   This car ride would be an adventure in itself.  You see, Stevie has  his share of struggles in life with the cross he bears: autism.  This morning,  he willingly climbed into the front seat of my van,  then turned his body to face the window and away we went.

We drove from his house to my house and he began to point out tornado sirens along the way.  As we passed the sirens perched on the top of wooden poles, he began to talk excitedly about the type of siren it was, how sirens are made, how it works, and even who manufactures the siren. 

Every time we drew close, he would launch into another energetic talk about tornado sirens.

I have to be honest, up until this point, I had never noticed the sirens before, nor had a burning desire to become a siren expert.  Why did I want to keep listening to Stevie?  It was Stevie’s energy and expertise that drew me.   I have never met anyone so knowledgeable about tornado sirens and believe it or not, I found myself wanting to know about them just because he was so excited to share his knowledge with me. 

Now as I drive to work, I drive under a siren and think of what he taught me.  Being around someone who was so enthusiastic about something was an incredible experience.  He has caused me to reflect.  How does my energy effect those around me?  How can I bring passion and expertise to those around me?

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