Floods, tornados, earthquakes, grass fires, extreme heat, hail, snow and ice storms…… Jumanji has nothing on Oklahoma weather. Natives to our state grow up learning about hook echos, dry lines and safe spots — there is even a severe weather bingo game that is popular during tornado season. …

One of my first bosses was an old school executive hardened from enduring the oil glut of the eighties. With wide eyes, my young colleagues and I listened to him regale us with stories about mass layoffs like a war veteran recalls their time in combat. …

My husband and I attended a fundraiser hosted at a friend’s home the other night where we did not know many people. After a few introductions and the exchange of pleasantries, inevitably, the topic of conversation came to what we do for a living. Since I was the only one…