Standing in the Rain

Next time it rains, find some time to go outside and sit on your porch, patio, balcony or whatever else. If you hate getting wet, bring an umbrella and just listen. If you really let yourself enjoy it instead of worrying about getting wet, you’ll hear nothing but the quiet sounds of raindrops falling, leaves rustling and maybe the occasional boom of thunder. It’s peaceful if you can look at it with a different, less inconvenienced perspective.

Scott McRaindancer

road landscape nature forest
Photo by veeterzy on Pexels.com

Ah… this is delightful. I haven’t felt the soothing touch of rain in a while. It’s been weeks at least. I never thought I’d be happy to say that I forgot my umbrella.

Harmless. The rain is harmless, yet everyone treats it like lava. If it touches someone’s clothing, their day is ruined. Don’t even get me started with wet socks. Everyone bitches about them like they’re dying when really, they’re not that bad.

Everyone around me is running like a maniac, trying to find shelter. It’s fun to watch them panic as if the sky is falling. I’m practically skipping through the growing puddles. The sidewalks are clear of people, except for a person in a rain coat or a person with a large, unwieldy umbrella blowing in the wind. They look ridiculous. All because they don’t want to get a little wet.

Yet, if most of these people went swimming in clothing that was deemed appropriate for water, they’d be happy! Fucking hilarious. I didn’t know societal pressures could make someone lose appreciation for rain. The thing that gives us clean water. The thing that waters our plants. It’s one of the few truly free things left in life and no one appreciates its gentle touch.

I open my mouth as water streams down my face. It’s more refreshing than tap or well. It’s more refreshing than air conditioning. It’s nature at its finest.

The breeze is amazing, too. When I see someone’s umbrella cave in on itself I just about piss myself. Cheap manufacturing has made someone lose money and for what? Just because they didn’t want to get wet? And now they’re even more upset because not only are they wet, but their shit is broken.

If more people could appreciate rain, then they’d be happier more often. They’d like the changing weather and understand the beauty of it instead of just thinking about clear days when really, clear doesn’t mean better. It simply means different.

Ya know, even after saying all of this, I’m glad that everyone seems to hate rain. Everyone in the world experiences it and no one likes it. All that means to me is that I have a little piece of earth that I can enjoy all alone. A piece that’s just as beautiful as the rest. A piece that’s just for me.

Simple Things: Part 1

As we approach the end of summer, I think about all the time that I spent outside. Every second away from a screen, desk or artificial light was one that I could enjoy and savor. Now we’re at the end and snow will be here before we know it and then there will be another tiring winter of dark, cloudy days. Until that time, I’ll keep trying to get out when I can and enjoy it in the best way possible… with only the sounds of nature accompanying me.

Scott McNaturewalks

The sun shining through the branches. Leaves rustle as a timid wind reveals itself, brushing against your fragile skin. Soil crunches beneath your feet, each step more relaxing than the last.

A stream rolls to your left, it’s tender current hiding a colony of wildlife, seemingly untouched by man. You can feel a coolness as water splashes up onto your ankles, reminding you of how you felt as a child, when you would run through puddles without worry of wet socks or shoes. Birds chirp above you, calls that you have become so used to that you never even notice them, but today they echo like the most beautiful voice you’ve ever heard.

To your right is a wall of rocks, taller than your own home. They’re not part of a mountain or a hill, but instead seem like the sturdy supports of the growing landscape. Water trickles down, drop by drop. Little puddles, no more than a few inches deep sit all around them. Just like the splashing from the river, you make an effort to step into them, not caring if you get wet.

trees in park
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Insects that would usually disgust you surround you, some in sight and some out. You feel like you belong in their world for once, and it’s beautiful. You are the trespasser, but you feel welcomed by the chirping of crickets and the buzzing of bees.

As you continue to walk, trekking through land that you so frequently forget to appreciate, you stop. You take a deep breath in. The aroma of the running water and the evergreens. The scents left from flowers and trees. Your senses are overtaken by this… this simple beauty that you so often ignore. But that doesn’t matter, for you are appreciating it now, and this moment will remain one of your fondest until the very end.