Storms, Squirrels, and a Little Boy’s Paradigm Shift

By | January 26, 2009

By Dale Smith  (GrandpaDale) © 2008 Philip Dale Smith  

First, what’s a “paradigm shift?”

That’s a fancy way of saying, “a change in how you look at things.” When I was a preschooler, I needed one. Probably several.

The first paradigm shift I recall came when I was about five years old. As I got ready for bed, a storm hit. A strong gust slammed the old house. It shivered, creaked, and moaned. The thin linoleum floor covering lifted and dropped in keeping with the surges that swept under the house and up through floor cracks.

The first rattle of rain hit the tin roof followed the staccato tattoo of the downpour. No insulation muffled the sound. Soon it was a roar. Thunder cracked and lightning flashes through the windowpanes far outdid the dim yellow light of the “coal oil” lamp that Mother would soon take from the room.

I was afraid. Read more »

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