Considering Rain


 

Considering Rain


I never expected my feelings about Rain to change in coming to live on an island. I used to always feel bad for/about Rain, and viewed him as a misunderstood and frustrated character (hence the capital R.) For most of my life the general consensus was that he was an inconvenience at best and dangerous at worst, and of course that affected my view of him as well.

I remember once the sky was pummeling down so tremendously in Italy that the authorities announced a public emergency for three days, closing schools and everything possible. Not owning a t.v. meant I had no idea how bad it was outside and faced the downpour with an umbrella which quickly turned into a bunch of  spokes with a canvas dangling off of them. Of course the school where I worked was quite shut. I splashed home with my shoes sopping and followed the motherly advice of taking a hot shower to avoid getting sick. Many streets, basements and stores were flooded for days or even weeks. Rain had become synonymous with damage.

In contrast, a fond memory of  Rain comes to mind. I was working at a summer camp in which Rain meant staying inside with bored campers...a much dreaded event. Therefore, the other counselors and I decided to take the downpour into our own hands. We handed out plastic garbage bags, cut a hole for our heads, and then headed out to the hill. We had the time of our lives using the muddy surface of a good descent as a slip-n-slide. As soon as the fun was done, everyone was marched to the saving steam of the showers.

However, on this island people are hardly fazed by Rain. He is honestly quieter and calmer here. I really got to see how the islanders perceive him the other night. I had been dancing with a swing group in a square only a short while before it started to sprinkle. Rain is unusual here and only lasts about 15 minutes in any case, so we continued dancing. We simply moved the amplifier and our bags under an awning so they didn't get wet. No panicking. No running for cover. Some dancers waited for Rain to calm down before taking the floor again, but everyone stayed.

It was magical, dancing under the light sprinkles from the sky, the moisture tickling our skin...That feeling reminds me of years ago in Australia dancing in the short-lived storms of  Port Douglas in the evening. For both islands Rain equals refreshment and rarely means disruption.

So, I guess my feelings haven't really changed: it's just the way Rain chooses to express himself elicits a different response. It is fascinating to me that the same element can seem totally different depending on the context.



Image by: 

<a href="https://pixabay.com/es/users/janrye-4611168/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4302142">janrye</a> en <a href="https://pixabay.com/es//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4302142">Pixabay</a>


Text by:

Kristen Mastromarchi

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