Dripping, Soaking, Sogging Wet...

I got caught in the rain today!

What a glorious, wonderful, fantastic feeling! I had almost forgotten what it felt like to have the rain beating down on you, heavy enough that it obscures your vision (and if you wear glasses, they get steamed up); have every single item of clothing on you soaked through right down to your underwear and your socks and shoes. The clothes stick to your skin and your shoes squelch.
You feel like every care and sorrow is being washed away and in its place is a sense of renewal, well-being and content. I have always loved the scene in the movie Shawshank Redemption (pic above) where Tim Robbins makes it out of the prison and raises his arm to the heavens.

Little children who are said to be nearer to all things elemental, instinctively recognize this fact and absolutely delight in running around in the rain laughing, screaming and trying to make the biggest splashes in the rapidly forming puddles. At least until the grown-ups break up the party! Anyone do that in their childhood? I find a lot of parents these days are too scared of common little things like colds!

So if you ever feel down and a bit in the dumps, try looking for a good tropical torrential downpour (okay... a temprate one will do as well) and go out into it fully clothed. Walk around, take your time and get deliciously soaked!

PS
And when you are done, get out of the clothes, rub yourself down briskly with a nice big fluffy towel and get into dry clothes. Or you might catch your death of cold!