By Published On: August 27, 2014

Rain.

I like it when it rains hard. It sounds like white noise everywhere, which is like silence but not empty.”
― Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

First of all, if you’ve not read this book, it’s a great novel written from the viewpoint of a 15-year old boy who likely has autism. It presents an unexpected, unusual and enlightened look into a mind that sees things from a different angle. But, that’s not what this article is about. This article is simply about rain.

It rained hard last weekend. After weeks of drought came a 3 or 4 hour downpour in the middle of an 85 degree hot and humid day. And..for me at least, it was oddly perfect. It helped that the rain didn’t usher in a sudden and sharp drop in temperature. This was not a cooling rain but a mild warm summer rain, the kind of rain that shows up in movies but is seldom seen in Minnesota. I could almost hear the trees, plants and lawn saying, “thank you, thank you, thank you!”

I had several things planned for the afternoon; a few errands to run, some things to do in the yard, a dog really looking forward to a walk. Suddenly all things stopped. They stopped and I waited, then waited a bit more and then finally, conceded that my day was officially on hold…if only for a little while.

I headed to my porch to sit, listen and take in the rain and a few surprising things happened. I relaxed. My mind cleared and I felt as if the rain was doing a meditation for me. I just sat as thoughts and ideas seeped in and out of my mind. I solved a few problems and made a few decisions. I rested. I had a time-out and it was wonderful.

A good reminder that down time can be really, really productive time.

And, so as not to get too sappy, I’ll end as I started with a quote about rain, this one taking on a bit of a different spin.

It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent. -Dave Barry

-Maureen

About the Author: cat-tonic

cat-tonic
Born of curiosity and enthusiasm, we’re a scrappy group of smart, passionate marketers who work hard and play hard. We show up every day and fight for our clients who are making the world a better place. We listen with curiosity, explore deeply, ask hard questions, and sometimes put forth ideas that might make you squirm. Because we believe the status quo is good for growing mold but not much else. The way we see it, change is the way forward and the magic happens when curiosity, math, science, instinct, and talent intersect.
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