Day 435, May 26, 2021

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Dancing in the Rain

Tonight's soundtrack: Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, 2003

We had a big storm blow through this afternoon. At one point, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the patio umbrella blow by the window. I ran out and retrieved it from where it had impaled itself on the string bean trellis. The chickens were making a commotion and I rounded up the hens into the coop. The rain drops were large and heavy. It was our first good summer rain.

There was a time when I was in high school that I loved getting caught in the rain, being so wet that my clothes stuck to my skin. There was something marvelous and thrilling to dance in the rain. It was as if it was the ultimate statement of not giving a care. It was like allowing one's self to let go of any sense of consequence, social constraint, or expectation. And as a kid a summer rain is never cold. 

I didn't stay out too long and retreated inside once the rain started to really fall and I could hear Franklin barking at the thunder. 

Aside from the occasional transcendent musical performance, I don't think we get the opportunity to dance in a summer rain very often. As adults we are too self conscious of how we might seem, or if we might slip on the wet grass and break something, or that we will need to do a load of laundry if we get soaked all the way through.

We get to dance in the rain while writing, sometimes. 

This morning my characters started to indulge in the things that they wanted to make sure they would get to experience at least one more time in their life. If I were faced with such a moment, I think I would like to dance in a summer rain at least one more time. For now, I'll keep it to when I get to inhabit a musical alter ego, or when I'm writing poetry or letting fictional characters run amok. And, I suppose, when I'm trying to round up juvenile chickens to keep them out of the storm.

Take care and be well,

Leo



The storm rolling in.

From Our Friends:

From Facing History and Ourselves:

As students navigate the news coverage of the recent events and the historical narratives of the conflict, they may need to grapple more generally with ways in which distrust and hatred can engender violence and be reinforced by it. Facing History has resources analyzing the dynamics of “us” versus “them” that can illuminate how this dynamic connects to conflict and injustice. These resources also facilitate building empathy and trust across divides.

From the Community College Resource Center:

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the highest unemployment that the U.S. has seen since the Great Depression, with particularly heavy job losses for Black, Hispanic, and Native American workers. In this set of three studies commissioned by Lumina Foundation, the authors examine actions that states and community colleges can take to address the needs of racially minoritized adult learners who are pursuing postsecondary education and training as a path to re-employment, better jobs, and higher incomes. 







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