Something in the rain
The difference of taking a step back
The monsoon dichotomy
The Mumbai rains are welcomed with open arms in relief, to banish the humidity of the summer. Yet there remains a scowl at the thought of having to navigate through dampened roads infiltrated with mud.
Transportation is an official listed nightmare as the mud, stench and the sultry day leads to suffocation. Even simple walking through the pellets of rain, as they fog your glasses, is irritable. A shampoo is inconsequential as a frizzy hair day cannot be escaped.
For the public that must leave the house to make a living, the want to get home, away from the wetness, is a compelling one.
On the other hand, there are those who hum to the rhythm of the pitter patter. A cup of tea in hand, a fritter in the other, the freshness of plants lingers in the air. Children whoop in joy at the possibility of schools being closed and playing in the mud. (Remember the detergent ad: Daag acche hain? Targeting the frustrated mothers who despised dirt.)
but that’s children;
As for us adults, we long to stay indoors and enjoy the weather when inside. For one, the rain appears to be poetic when you’re looking at it from a distance rather than being actually stranded in it.
The one drenched in rain stares incredulously at the one sitting at home admiring the thunderstorm.
Which makes one wonder, is this contrasting perspective true for everything in life? Is it simpler to understand when not directly involved?
A different angle
The point of view for someone involved in a particular situation differs from the one looking at it from a distance. My mother often advises me, when you’re entangled in a problem, it’s better to step away, take a deep breath and look at it again, maybe the angle changes and a solution emerges.
When surrounded by a sea of people, desperate to make it through the day, one fades into the backdrop of routine, despaired by the life they lead. Overwhelmed by the battle they fight, humans tend to forget about to appreciate the existence of smaller things. The whole picture comes into eyesight by just taking a step back. Looking at life with a clearer head, gives you an opportunity to notice details you might have missed.
Our heads are notorious little imaginators, they’d spin a yarn of possible consequences over a simple conundrum and we remain absorbed with our head in our hands. Then as time passes a sense of relief coupled with humour seeps into us and the situation turns into a hilarious anecdote. All the stressing and mulling suddenly seems distant, ineffective and a waste of efforts and suddenly life doesn’t look all too bad.
You see, all the poor rain does is fall, whether it lands on your window sill or your shoulder has no fault of it’s own. We despise and appreciate it based on where we stand. It’s all about the angle. In the moment what feels colossal, collapses in an instant when viewed differently. You could do that by either wiping your glasses clean, switching to another view point or simple accepting things as they come. Even the sun cannot maintain the same shadow for long. If thoughts and angles are so fickle, why do we burden ourself by every emotion we feel?
A step back, an exhale, or just a moment to yourself and suddenly life wont feel all that overwhelming At the end of the day, if you look for it, you’ll always have something to appreciate.
Until next time and till then enjoy the rain outside your window!✨