Texas 81-year-old spits bars inspired by neighbors helping neighbors

By Epiphany La’Sha

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    TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — “I was just wondering if the house was going to be here when we walked out. We just tried to get into the safest place we knew,” Temple resident Charlene Lee said.

Lee and her daughter were together when the twin tornadoes hit — they took shelter in the bathroom for protection.

When she walked outside, debris was everywhere.

“Someone had a big tree that had been struck at the base either by lighting or the wind that blocked their front door,” Lee said. “They came out and everybody in a neighborhood had a saw and they had it down in an hour.”

Lights were off — she says she started thinking about what people did in the 1800’s to keep themselves entertained. The 81-year-old inspired by her surroundings of damage and seeing neighbors come together, wrote a rap called “Waiting for the Power”.

“Waitin’ for the power, The milk is gonna sour. Listenin’ for the A/C. Wish I could be sleepin’, ‘Stead I’m out here sweepin’. Dog’s at the door a-pawin’, With all the neighbors sawin’, Draggin’ big limbs to the street, Seein’ neighbors we never did meet. Seein’ neighbors we never did meet.” Charlene Lee

Charlene showed limbs that fell in her backyard — nothing major she says, compared to her neighbors across town.

One neighbor’s biggest tree fell over after high winds on Tuesday.

“I was in the house fixing my breakfast or lunch it was 12:30 and I heard my daughter say, ‘What’s that?’ and it just cracked,” Lee said.

After spending many years as the voice of Baylor Scott & White before retiring, we asked if music was her next career move.

“Oh no, I don’t think so — I think I will leave that to the young ones,” Lee said.

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