Thunderclap

thun·der·clap 1 : a clap of thunder 2 : something sharp, loud, or sudden like a clap of thunder.*

I recently became acquainted with the word 'thunderclap'. It is one of those things where you have never heard the word before, and now you hear it everywhere (children's books, Bruce Springsteen lyrics, etc). I remember that when I was young people used to say that the time between the lightning and the thunder indicated how far it was, and that the sound traveled about one kilometer per second. I never checked this fact to see if it is true. However, I remember counting the distance between the light and the sound in many rain storms. Trying to predict the thunderclap is your own little way of feeling "in control" of something that might scare you.
Nowadays, as I find myself waiting for the thunderclap that follows a strong scary lightning, (learning whether my life will improve, stay the same or it will go through rougher times), I find myself trying to predict when the loud sound will come. Waiting is not easy but at least, if you know how long you have to wait, you can tame your anxiety and make it through each day.
I am very anxious right now.

* Thunderclap/Thunder. (2008). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved June 9, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thunderclap