Out

Out

In and out, in and out. Are you in, or are you out? A blunt question, to which my answer is out.

Out of what, you may ask.  In and out of the rain, is my answer. Today the rain is a steady sheet, an open faucet which we can't shut off. The green and greenery is happy, soaking up the sustenance. 

The question is can we sustain so much rain? The answer is yes. The rain will flood the water tables and overflow the embankments of the canal near my house. The rain may make cracks in the concrete, the asphalt not used to its pores overpouring. This might cause the streets to become rivulets that cars can float on. But in some days the sun will dry out the massive water. And over time–perhaps during the summer when the world is dry–we will forget nature's outburst.

Today my fast footsteps took stride under the showers. I bended to them, smiling at the sprinkling because I was in it, part of it, and glad to be outside. I was in, you could say, in the way I wanted to be.

But I found everything bounded up when I arrived at work. After calling, I found out they had closed because of the rain under an ordinance. I was flabbergasted...I had never heard of the city shutting down for downpours before. I was totally out of it, completely outside of this information. And my boss admonished me that it was important to be informed, to be inside of information that everyone else knew.

But you know, there are some things I don't care about knowing. I don't know if it's better to be in the know if knowing doesn't better me, you know? I just read a book which confirmed what I already knew, which is that most news is sensational (in a negative way) to grab our attention but it often makes us frustrated in the knowing. The world is not a better place for the knowing unless change is put into place.

I know that eventually I will know what I need to know (by looking outside, by talking to people, from facebook...) Did I miss or lose anything today? Only the time it took to walk to work, but the walk refreshed me so I actually gained something.

To the outside world, my behavior is ludicrous, carless, and thoughtless. But I choose to take part in the world when I need to. Irresponsible or not, I feel like there is a lot of heart-wrenching news I could do without because it makes me feel terrible and I can't change it. (Like wars, violence, or chaos, which is most of the news.) So, if one piece of necessary news falls through the cracks, so be it.

Photo: Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@sixstreetunder?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Craig  Whitehead</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/aJfy0WtHtkc?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

  Text: Kristen Mastromarchi