It was raining when I woke up this morning. It started the night before last and hasn’t stopped; in fact it’s raining harder than ever.
The weatherman says it’s supposed to rain tomorrow too - not like it’s going to rain for 40 days and 40 nights, but it has been raining for 40 hours.
That’s all right; I don’t mind the rain ... oh, I used to mind ... I used to hate the rain. It kept me from playing golf or riding my bike. It soaked my shoes when I'd run, or rust my chain when I'd ride.
The splattering rain on my face would annoy me to no end- so much so, I even wrote a poem about it in college called “I hate the rain.”
But that was 25-years ago. Things change. Now I kind of like the rain.
I don't care if I play golf in the rain - it takes away the crowd, and I no longer feel the need to run or bike no matter what the weather.
Rain makes me feel alive; it saturates colors while saturating me. It makes my sore throat feel at home and washes off my shirt sleeve after I’ve wiped my runny nose.
Rain knocks the leaves from the trees, then fills the street with swimming-pool puddles so they can swim. It drips down the back of my shirt collar and makes me cringe at its coldness. It splatters my glasses and gives me kaleidoscope vision.
Rain gives my windshield wipers exercise and cleans off the bottom of my shoes. It turns football fields to mud and cancels playoff baseball games in New York.
Rain brings out umbrellas for the wind to destroy. It makes earthworms surface and head for the sidewalk to die. It floods the gutters and seeps into my basement. It comes down in an assortment of directions and strengths - from drizzle to driving.
Rain has the unique ability to clean some things while making other things dirty. It’s a farmer’s best friend … and his worst enemy. It can irrigate his crops - or wash them away.
Rain can end a drought – or cause a flood, acting as Mother Nature’s Grim Reaper by accompanying hurricanes and typhoons on killing sprees. Rain can flush a life down an overflowing riverbank just as easily as it can rehydrate dying cattle.
Rain makes it okay to stay inside and not feel guilty. It turns books and music into my best friends and prompts me to feel creative. It sends me to the movie theater or the mall, or lets me just stay home and be alone.
Rain lets me daydream. It helps me formulate plans and prepare for the better life I’ll surely start to lead once it stops raining.
But it hasn’t stopped - it may not stop for a while.
It doesn’t matter - not today. Today is for dreaming. Today I like the rain.
If I am inside and do not need to venture out, I love the rain. But heading out in the rain, especially at night, is just not my cup of tea.
ReplyDelete