Thursday, May 29, 2008





rainy day

I awoke this morning to the sound of rain pelting the roof, and as I lay there on my mattress (my bed is already packed up) snuggling up in my comforter I was tempted to be annoyed by the rain, for today I must pack all my stuff into my car (I was going to use Norma's truck - but not in the rain) and take a million trips back and forth to my storage unit. As these thoughts began to overwhelm me I suddenly remembered something - I like the rain. It's true. I do. I love going for long walks in the rain, it's very soothing. So, right then I made a decision. I decided to go for a walk in the rain, a walk to my favorite little bakery (the Sparrow bakery...mmmmm!) and get some coffee and a delicious ocean roll. So that's exactly what I did. I got up, grabbed my (really cute) orange umbrella, and walked to the bakery. At first it everything seemed chaotic (the cars rushing back and forth, splashing water everywhere as they sped through puddles) but as I looked more carefully a beauty began to emerge, a rythm of its own to which every noise and action only adds to the wonder of it all. It was lovely. After my coffee and ocean roll, as I was walking home I began to think about how much our attitudes affect us. For some reason it reminded me of one of my favorite poems:

The Road not Taken
By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and sorry I could not travel both And be one traveller, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim because it was grassy and wanted wear; though as for that, the passing there had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay in leaves no feet had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference

I have always thought of this as referring to physical choices, decisions we make, etc. And perhaps it is talking about that, but today I realized that we can also choose to take a different "path" simply by changing out hearts and attitudes, and it really does make a difference.
It is still raining outside. I still have to move today, and I'm still not done packing, but I'm no longer dreading it and I'm not longer annoyed at the weather, but am rather enjoying the beauty of it all. And that's a good thing.

2 comments:

a m stewart said...

I had just read this [rainy day] post, and I went for a walk. i started thinking about how it's been humid, but hasn't rained for quite a while [there's a bird eating a worm outside my window] and when I looked up I noticed it was pretty hectic up there, then there was lighting, then it started pouring, it was great, it's sunny now, and I everything seems a bit cleaner.

Jen said...

Yay Michla
I love this post. You're such a fantastic and cool girl!