the rain

The rain has returned.

It’s cleansing more than anything.

Okay, I take that back, it’s cleansing as much as it is a nuisance.

I suppose the hopeful optimistic in my wants to go with cleansing. I never want to be a bummer and leaving it as a nuisance feels very borderline with bummer to me.

It rains all the time in the PNW. If you’ve been paying attention to anything in your life, you’ve likely heard this fact. True, when we moved here we started investing in things like rain jackets and waterproof hiking shoes. I also take this into consideration if looking at leather or suede shoes. But really, I think that change in shopping habits was more caused by the regional aversion to umbrellas and less by the actual amount of rain.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve used an umbrella. Not because we don’t get rain.

We do.

But because an umbrella is a sure sign that someone is from California.

And I’m not from California.

But we don’t get THAT much rain. But I digress, the rain has returned. I’m thrilled about this. We’ve had a dry spring, much like last year, and a dry spring going into drought season is a terrible recipe for wildfires… or is it a great recipe for wildfires? That sounds too positive. Let’s go with a successful recipe for wildfires. After the fires in 2017 and 2020, I’d be okay with a nice, smoke-free end of summer.

So let it rain.

But it’s also cleansing in the kind of way that reinvigorates you. You know the kind of reinvigoration I’m talking about. That desire to empty your entire closet and pull every item of clothing you have from bins stashed under the bed in the guest room. The goal when you start the project might be lofty… mine always is.

I’m ready for a new look!

In my head I know what that look is. It’s the carefree 2003 me mixed in with a bit of quirky 2012 me but with the confidence 2019 me gained when someone much wiser and cooler than me said “it doesn’t matter what you wear, no one actually cares” when I was fretting about my casual attire when heading out for a quick lunch during a board retreat. Because no one really does care. If you happen to catch their eye, it’s probably because you’re rocking a hairdo not many pull off.

Or maybe it’s because of those hard to find shoes that you finally found that only get pulled out when you have reservations at that wildly talked about supper club downtown.

Perhaps it’s just because you walked by as they looked up from their phone and their eyes follow you subconsciously as they take a break from the latest Twitter argument they fell into.

My casual attire wouldn’t have even been noticed.

So that settles it, the look has been defined.

The invigoration has bubbled up, ready to produce results.

But where does this look get rolled out? At my home office in front of a Teams meeting with a client 3 time zones ahead of me? The new look is lost on them, only knowing me by my shoulders, face, and the wall I’ve staged behind my desk and what I call my phone voice.

So let this rain fall. I’ll watch it from my office window hoping the invigoration this cleansing brings will stick around just long enough for me to find my stage.