Insulated from the Rain

Have you ever noticed that fluorescent lighting, which is normally so harsh takes on a softer glow when contrasted with gathering storm clouds?  I can remember back to an early age in school, deep in whatever task, coming out of it to look around as my eyes sent me messages that the quality of the lighting had changed, a storm was approaching.

It doesn’t seem to matter whether I am in a mid-century school building, an older school or an office building, the change in sunlight affects the quality of the artificial lighting indoors.  Differently than the transition to evening.  Though newer lighting tends to have more of a spotlight effect.

When the clouds gather, sometimes slowly stacking, sometimes madly swirling, my instinct is to get a good seat, a book and to watch the clouds until the storm bursts – interspersing storm watching with reading.  Of course, at work or at school I must deny this instinct.  Somehow though, the threatening weather seems to draw everyone closer together, a primitive impulse that there is strength in numbers.

It does depend on the season though, doesn’t it?  In fall and winter, rain makes our thoughts turn to being cozy, to soup and sandwiches and fireside chats.  In the spring and summer, we have an urge to go out and be in the rain, to let it wash freshness over us – to watch later how it brings out new plants, encourages buds on established plants.

Heading home, hearing the swish of the windshield wipers and watching headlights arc through the brooding gloom and tires splashing in the water slicing across streets we aren’t ever very fond of rain at these moments.

Later when we stand in grass that is almost neon green and under trees that shake rain droplets from their leaves with every breeze, we see the benefit of the rain storm.

This post is written in response to the daily prompt:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/daily-prompt-rain/

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