Il pleut

It's been raining a lot lately. Tuesday brought light hail, a downpour of rain, and even a couple of legit lightning/thunder combos!

AND, to top it all off, a spectacular rainbow.

Twitpic courtesy of my buddy Tyler (twitter: tylermiller5)

A lot of people in SoCal hate the rain, but not I. It's generally cold (which I love), it feels like we have seasons (which I love), and it cleans up the air to create some beautiful views (which I love).

Take, for example, this picture my friend Steve twitpic-ed from Downtown LA

(twitter: stevenmw8)

There's just something about the rain... It gets me all think-y and pensive. I even sat down at one point and wrote a poem about it the other day! Haha. Here it is. It's really more just freeflowing thinking on paper:

Il Pleut

What is this rain bringing?
Is it just water for our dry soil?
Hydrating nourishment for the California plant life?

No

It's bringing flooding
It's bringing to the surface how weak Socal's drainage system is
I mean, the rain isn't THAT bad.
It's like Japan- looking so put together and beautiful;
yet scratch the surface just a tad and you see the
emptiness
hopelessness
death
It's causing mudslides- threatening the poor homes of the foothills... AGAIN!
First the fires, now this... [eeyore voice]
Bet your $4-mill homes aren't feeling so secure now, eh?
It's uncovering the insecurity and inadequacy Socal drivers hide by overcompensating with aggressive/fast driving: we cannot drive in rain
Random traffic jams and accidents- that's what it's bringing
Pitter patter. Slick slick. Screech screech. CRASH!
Pitter patter. Swerve swerve. "**** you!" HONK!

What is this rain bringing?
Is it just hazards to scare us all?
A reason to not go out for fear of wetness, traffic, injury?

No

It's bringing a cleansing of our smog-browned sky
It's bringing a pure bright blanket of snow to our mountains
It's bringing an LA rarity- quality time
People choosing not to go out and do, do, do,
But instead staying in with fam and friends to BE
Time for hot cocoa and snuggies and chick-flicks and cuddling
Coats, rain jackets, rubber boots and parapluies
Emerge from closets where they've been collecting dust
It's bringing a coat of authenticity to people's countenances
After nine months hiding behind makeup and plastered smiles
After dressing to impress and snooting to put others down
The rain's misery brings together company
Birds of a feather, unable to look cute in soaked hoods and bold-colored ponchos,
now unafraid to smile at a social inferior, frown frankly for wet discomfort,
make eye contact with strangers (GASP) to commiserate with a chuckle,
perhaps even share a sentence or two, as they share a kind awning or benevolent umbrella
"...ella, ella, ey, ey..."
Ah, the beauty of a song shared by people cleverly referencing the lyrics
at every mention of this oft-forgotten protective friend
It's bringing an appreciation for the sun- normally taken completely for granted
It's bringing hope for a sunny tomorrow (though that "tomorrow" might not come until the weekend)
And just as this "tomorrow" begins to break through the gray,
The rain will bring a divine hope-
A celestial Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
"When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds,
I will remember My covenant that is between Me and you and every living creature..."
"The sun'll come out tomorrow!" It's coming
A new day. A new season. A clean slate.
After the discomfort and despair of wetness and the sunless sky,
will come a cleaner, brighter January
Socal's true, natural beauty on display for all to see

What is this rain bringing?
A recognition that there's Something much bigger
Something that can cause rain, snow, death, life
With just one Word

"Let there be rain"
et il plut
Tiens- il pleut. =)