I screamed when it thundered even at a few months old, according to my baby book. As a teenager, I dove under the kitchen table when there was a sudden crack of thunder nearby--in front of a guest. On my honeymoon, I wound up camping in the midst of one of the worst storm fronts the Atlanta region had ever seen, and when the camp got struck by lightning, I wound up in the foetal position in a puddle on the ground.
But phobias are tricky things. I tried to force myself to enjoy the sounds of thunder. I once held a brontophobic dog's paw through a storm because its stupid owner had left it in a cage it could crawl on top of AND leashed it, and it was trying to hang itself. And after years of thunder issues, it lessened to the point where I now have an application on my tablet called Sleepy Time that has several noises where you can choose what you go to sleep to, and I often choose rain and thunder.
So I guess it's no surprise that when the thunderstorm rolled through this evening, I fell asleep. Still, it amazes me that I've come this far. It was definitely a phobia, as strong as those I know other people have against spiders and snakes. My reactions were without thought and instant. But in my own way I guess I desensitised over time, and that's good, because you simply cannot escape the occasional thunderstorm.
Now, I still have some issues if I'm actually out in the lightning and thunder, so I'm not entirely without fear. But if it's distant, or I'm inside, and it's a run-of-the-mill storm, I'm fine. Yay!
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