Every once on a while, I come across a great story that will put a smile on my face and really make my day. The following story, featured in, “Human Psychology Facts“, is a fascinating tale of survival and good fortune. Enjoy!

It was 4:00 in the afternoon and Henry Collins had just gotten off of work. The weather looked ominous, but Henry had his priorities straight – time for a beer.

Temperatures were plummeting. Winds were gusting. Lightning was dancing across the sky. The sun had even turned a reddish shade of scary.

But Henry took the long two mile trek across the Mississippi River to his favorite saloon in East St. Louis. No, none of that unlimited free Budweiser, Michelob and Busch crap which were available at the largest brewery in the world, right down the street. Henry wanted his genuine German ale.

He finally got to his favorite saloon as the rains began flooding the mud streets. As two tornadoes began their swath of destruction, ripping to shreds more than 8000 houses and buildings, Henry got his beer. The date was May 27, 1896.

As the roof came off the saloon, Henry held on tight to the bar with his one hand, the other still clinging to his ale. The swing doors were ripped off the hinges. Henry couldn’t hold on any longer. Up he went, “tumbling” according to witnesses as the tornado gave him a lift. Out he went, soaring through the air, getting tossed about with the debris and some of the more than 1000 victims of the third deadliest tornado in recorded history.

But Henry was lucky this day. The tornado dumped him feet first on the muddy ground. And although he had a severely broken shoulder, God had blessed him – there was still some beer in the glass he was holding. Henry gave a toast to his good fortune, finished off his beer and went back to the saloon for a refill.

Photo Credit: Ralph W. lambrecht: https://www.pexels.com/photo/lightning-and-tornado-hitting-village-1446076/