Sunday, June 15, 2008

One Man's Meat...

Perspective is a very individual thing. As the saying goes, "One man's meat is another man's poison." That which might make you unhappy might very well make me happy and vice versa. For the past hour it poured here in SI, coming down a real gully washer. Streets were running rivers down the gutters and visibility was at zero. Grumpy faces were everywhere as outdoor plans suddenly were interrupted or canceled altogether. Even now, with the rain slowing down, there is no desire to go out and shower with your clothes on.

And yet.... The chorus of birds is loud enough to be heard through the closed doors and windows. And here and there a bird dive bombs the newly moistened lawn and beds, each one victorious as they pull up a tender morsel. No scratching at hard, dry earth--the culinary pickings are easy and plentiful. One robin is ingenious--he grabs a bite to eat and then scurries under the broad, covering leaves of a hosta to enjoy his snack. When the drizzle stops the whole lawn will become a smorgasbord of unlimited amount and variety.

And the trees and bushes and lawn are all wearing a freshly laundered coat of green that glows against the grey of the sky, adding vibrant color. And deep in the earth the roots are welcoming their long, cool drink.

And if we are really lucky and the storm moved in the right direction, our reservoirs are getting a welcome and necessary addition. What falls today could make a difference of whether you get to shower as long as you want come July.

Puts the grumpies we humans are exhibiting into a whole new perspective. Quite a bit to be learned just by looking out the windows on a rainy day.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The weather and the temperature is one of those things that you can't get everyone to agree on. My grumps are complaining because it's still too wet outside to fix up the barbeque to use today. I'm thrilled because when they barbeque I end up cleaning that barbeque--not the fun part of the activity at all.

The temperature is also the biggest arguing point in marriage--it's not money. It's the one who needs the bedroom window open married to the one who needs it closed. It's the one who needs the airconditioning on and the one who wants it off. It's the one who wants hot soup in August and the one who doesn't want to cook hot soup when the temperature is in the 90s.

Bas~Melech said...

I'd heard about it before, but I will never forget the first time I saw the Israeli kids' excitement at the first few rains of the season.

Anonymous said...

We live in an area that doesn't get very much snow. Sometimes we have years between snow. We all get so excited when it comes that we run out to play in it. My parents in MA think we are crazy. Snow isn't something pleasurable to them.