Stripper Syndrome

I’ve just finished reading Colorado Legends & Lore by Stephanie Waters, and found some interesting facts about Colorado’s arid climate and high altitude, the combination resulting in a lot of static electricity that can curdle mayonnaise and sour milk.

Random lightning sometimes melts coins and keys in a person’s pocket while leaving the person unharmed. Other times, victims have been severely burned, dismembered or disemboweled. Markings left on the zapped body include indelible dots, stripes and zigzags in various colors that can end up as permanent tattoos.

Last year, I spend three weeks in Denver researching for the sequel to my book, Passage of Time. During my treks to the grocery store, I passed by Coors Field, the home field of the Colorado Rockies baseball team.

At the time, I was unaware of a natural phenomenon locally called stripper syndrome, whereby human perspiration acts like a conductor during lightning strikes, causing clothing to be blown off a victim’s body. Seems it happens a lot at Coors Field during baseball games. When someone is struck naked this way, the crowd quickly strips to do a naked wave on the JumboTron.

Readers can be assured that I will find a plot-worthy way to include the kinky stripper syndrome in my next book, for the phenomenon is too humorous and quirky to leave out.