sarahwilliamsandco

Sometimes I hate the rain. Especially in the north of England it can be relentless and unending. It’s dark and it’s cold. It seeps right into the worst parts of you. It makes you shiver and it makes you sneeze. It makes you question whether you really need that shower if you’re  going to be getting one on the way to the train station anyway. It makes you ponder whether you even need to get that train or could fork out for a door to door taxi instead. And it makes you wonder whether you even really actually need that job if it means going out in that shit.

I feel you, and I agree. But I also think rain gets a pretty bad rap. I mean, it waters our earth and feeds our plants. It gives us drinking water. It cleans our cars so you don’t have to pay to. And if it’s really heavy it can cancel that football game you really couldn’t be bothered to go to and act interested in.

And yeah, rain is definitely not all good. It can lead to floods and other natural devastations. It can wipe out homes and memories and futures. But if we focus on the day to day, relatively calm but persistent downpour then I think we could give it more slack.  We could be nicer to rain.

Now for people with seasonal affective disorder, I see you and I respect you. This article is not about you. It’s for the annoying people you know who walk around claiming to be SAD for the sake of small talk, lightly peppering over the fact it’s a serious mental health issue. To those people I’d say: what are we all complaining about?

At the end of the day, it’s water. That’s probably the least offensive liquid on the planet. You drown yourself with it in your morning shower, you use it to keep hydrated and to maintain your pearly whites. You use it for cooking and cleaning but as soon as it comes out of the sky it’s a problem? That seems a little hypocritical.

I think rain can be cleansing and a little liberating. Now when you’re running to work definitely do that quick cos no one wants to be sat going damp in a miserable office. But if you’re on your way home to a warm house and you have a spare second I encourage you to just stop and stand in the torrential rain. Just let it soak you. Completely. Let it drench through your layers so that you feel it trickling down your back. Close your eyes and point your face to the sky, let the water roll down your face. Let any bad feelings wash off you. I challenge you not to smile at this point. You’re stood purposely soaking yourself in nature that laughing seems the only natural reaction. This is so bizarre and frowned upon my social norms. But you’ll feel refreshed and new. You might also feel a bit cold so don’t stay out there all night.

And if you’re worried about people staring at you. Don’t. Fuck them. They wouldn’t know fun if it rained on them.

So next time it rains you’re allowed to groan and swear under your breath. But also remember to enjoy it.

Black Water – Of Monsters And Men