Washing the Earth

OMG wow I love the rain. Especially the kind that is falling now. Huge drops in a torrential downpour. I don't know, I find it very peaceful while watching the raindrops fall in their sheets of water. Its like a rhythmic pounding, noticeable enough to capture my attention, yet soft enough to maintain its tranquil mystique. Thunderstorms, however, those are amazing. Someday I want to capture a bolt of lightning on camera, although my chances of that are sadly minimal. Oh well, I'm not sure why I love rainfall. And for some reason, amidst the tumult of storms, I find them awe-inspiring and majestic. Water awes me in general; the entire rushing randomness all flowing into a calm, lulling stream, the intricacies and complexities within the entire world of a droplet are both the wonders of nature and beauty.

People think of rain and instantly think of sadness. Hollywood has definitely brought along this association, using rain in sequence with separation and loss and sadness numerous times. How many times have you seen the following scene: a couple is audibly in love, but then their romantic spark is extinguished by an outside force or internal realization. The still pine for each other, but they know they can never exist as a happy couple, so as they exchange their goodbye hugs, the rain falls on cue. One leaves in a taxi cab, while the abandoned other stands in the downpour as tear-welling music transitions the scene to some time in the future...
Is rain really this bad? Is it a sign of impending doom? Of sadness in the days to come and complimentary to mourning?
Couldn't rain also be a symbol for spring, for rebirth, for life? It waters our plants, fills our reservoirs, causes those nice big puddles in our streets. You can smell it in the air, the approaching dampness and the ensuing freshness after the downpour. And so here ends my chronicles of the pros of rain. Short, I know, but it's an essence I cannot put into words.
Wow, I am really bad at words, and I never feel like I can properly write down my ideas. Maybe it's because I always write these when I'm tired...

One thing I am scared of: acid rain. Oh, and trees falling on me during big storms. There was this one storm 3 or 4 years ago around Christmas, and a huge tree in our backyard fell over. It landed on our room, the part of the roof right above my bedroom. Fortunately, the roof was just dented, and you will be happy to know that I survived that night unscathed. Unfortunately, I did not wake up to this prodigious event, so I wonder what that spells out for my future if I ever fall asleep during an emergency...But yes, back to acid rain. Actually, there's not much more I have to say about it other than pollution is bad. It's corroding sidewalks and statues and Mt. Rushmore. It's contaminating our wells and changing the pH of our lakes. And it's gross.
I figured I didn't really need to talk about this 3 year drought we've been having (at least in the Bay Area.) Stevens Creek Reservoir is hovering at a stable 37% capacity, and Lexington is leaving behind scarred banks at a measly 13% full. I remember 3 years ago, in April, when it rained for 28 out of 30 days that month. It was amazing. Lexington was overflowing, although I believe people were tired of the relentless rainfall after a day or two. Still, this damn global warming will continue to be my scapegoat for all these problems.

So what is it that I like about rain? The power of nature? The simplicity of a single water drop amongst the chaos of a storm? Perhaps I am a nature freak, but if so, I am perfectly happy watching the rain wash away the stress of the world, leaving behind a clean and refreshing scenery of my peace of mind.