Rain, rain go away. That’s what people say anyway. You come into work and the small talk with colleagues goes something like “oh isn’t it just miserable outside” or “this weather is terrible, bring on the sunshine”. For me though, I have absolutely no problem with the rain. I don’t even mind the grey cloud cover. Now don’t get me wrong, I love sunshine and the vibrant blue of a clear summer’s day but the last thing I worry about is a bit of moisture, even when it does last 5 straight days.
I think we give the grey days too much meaning. To start with, take the adjectives we used to describe the climate out of context from the weather. To be miserable is to be wretchedly unhappy or upset, it’s no wonder people get SAD or effected by the weather so much when they have been drilled psychologically to associate the weather with being chronically saddened. The truth is, there is nothing actually miserable about rain. It’s an essential part to the ecosystem and its why here in the UK we get lush green forests and meadows. It’s the reason certain crops grow so well and also the reason we don’t go through droughts and run out of clean drinking water.
Being out in the rain isn’t that bad either – you get wet. That’s it. Just the same as when you go out in the heat you get hot or when you go out in the snow you get cold. The feelings and emotions you portray onto these climates are in your control. I honestly want to raise my own children to not associate negativity with any weather. I want them to learn to describe the weather in more literal terms as opposed to associate it with negative words from a young age. Hard to escape, especially when films will show sad scenes with upsetting story lines alongside images of rain or cold. Pathetic fallacy being a term that is still taught on the English curriculum at schools also means they’re likely to grow up to make the association by default.
As a runner, I personally love the rain. Waking up at 5:30am every day this week, as per usual, I’ve been greeted by varying degrees of downpour and I have done nothing but embrace the H2O dissipating from above. All you have to do is enjoy getting wet, enjoy the scents carried through the moisture and more than anything, enjoy the quiet footpaths that aren’t clogged up by the summer glory runners and walkers.
Perhaps I am too optimistic and live in a world of beaming positivity, and maybe it’s to do with how happy I am with the way life is at the moment but I do think the weather needs less stick. If you really can’t take the rain and cold, then remember this – you wouldn’t know to appreciate the sunshine and warmth if it didn’t have an alternative. As for the rest of you, think before you describe the weather as a term associated with sadness and depression. Instead, try turning the small talk with your work colleagues or the checkout assistant to a conversation like this blog post – “actually, I wouldn’t call it miserable, I’d say it’s just wet and raining – and that’s fine by me…”.
Carpe omnia folks.
BG
benedict. 