april showers...

Friday, April 15th, and it is raining. I sighed when I heard the gentle repetition falling, hitting of the ground,  outside of my window. Not because I despise the rain or anything. It is just that I really had my mind set on going for a walk today. After all, it is my first real day free that I have had for the past 2 months. It's a little thing called homework; a little less than slave-drivement. Anyways, when the rain began rustling through the trees, here is an account of my internal dialog with myself:

     "Ugh, it's raining. Now I'm going to be stuck inside of the apartment all day!" I thought sourly
      But then I began to think. "Why can't I go for a walk in the rain?"

I then got out of my computer chair (messy bedhead and all) and walked barefoot outside. I stole the idea from one of my classmates' stories in Creative Writing, Frankie. She walks around barefoot. "It makes you more aware of your surroundings," she says. The class was fascinated. We all laughed when someone mentioned how painful it must be to walk across the asphalt roads in between the buildings on campus, that I imagine not only are hot from the sun on sunny days but hot from all of the friction of the tires of traffic. She said calmly, and bluntly, "It isn't that bad." She shook her head in a pause. "You just have to run really fast."

When I was outside, I felt the grit of the dirt on the porch. Then, the moisture that made it onto the rough texture of the brick steps from the sky. I reached out for the handrail that is always there to assist me down to the sidewalk. It was also slippery from the April shower. As I stepped onto the sandy-colored surface that ironically felt like I was stepping on that part of a beach where the sand beneath your toes meets the waves... As I was standing there, the shower had already turned into sprinkles and they fell sporadically in my messy curls, it was beautiful...

Then I noticed the woman. She walked out of one of the townhouses down the road, talking on her cellphone. I turned around and spoke to myself, "She's going to think I'm an idiot!" I came back inside... I am a Creative Writing major at UAB, but I am also a Sociology minor. I have learned that things that tell us "Don't go walking in the rain! You'll get wet!" or "Wear shoes! You'll get a piece of glass stuck in your foot!" are just social constructions, social norms. Products of society. So Why did I run away? Why did I care if the woman thought I was an idiot? I was in amongst another beautiful moment of my life. I was walking in the rain...Then I realized, that has become a theme with my life.

"Don't." They tell me...

and I do what they say because I know if I do and the showers come, they'll say, "I told you so, you idiot!" But isn't April full of showers? And May always comes with flowers. April showers have already fell on us, but he is still  my handrail that is always there assisting me down the sidewalk. It is okay that April showers come. They're going to come. It is okay to walk in the rain. You'll get wet, but it is okay. It is okay to walk around barefoot. The asphalt may get too hot, but that is okay. It's not that bad, and we'll just have to run really fast. It is okay to be in love. April Showers are going to come, but May always comes with flowers... and it's going to be beautiful.