Rain

The rain today was so beautiful. This morning it was soft and steady, and it's been so long since we had any rain I even found myself enjoying the soft gray of the sky and the slower pace of the traffic.

The rain today reminded me of two memories. One of being a child and swimming in a summer rainstorm. My mom would watch from the back porch for signs of lightning, and we would throw ourselves from the diving board, swim to the ladder, and then back out in the rain and around to the board again. It was cold - usually barely 70 - when it rained like that, and our pool temperature never rose much above 72 or so - but we loved to swim in the rain. It probably happened no more than once a summer, but it is a memory I can see and smell and hear still.

I also thought of San Miguel, and of how, when it rains, the cobblestone streets turn to streams, and people hold hands and jump across the flying water. You try to find a spot to hide against the buildings where a rain spout won't surprise you. Water pours from the spouts, turning every few feet into a fountain. The cobblestone sidewalks are slick and shiny, and everyone hurries slowly and carefully to get inside.

Aaah, rain.