Thursday, July 16, 2009

Rain Man Revisited

The rain always brings me a certain kind of high. While everyone else is gloomy, I feel lifted, rejuvenated. It always reminds me of good conversations, ice cold beer, warm coffee or tea - and with all these brought together, there's that cozy sensation of finding peace for just a few hours, even if you've spent your entire lifetime vainly searching for it.

Whenever it rains, the city acts, looks and even smells differently. There's a provincial allure to it, the frantic pace temporarily goes away, and people seem more gentle and less cruel. A good friend once said that after a strong rain, Manila's skies become metallic and the city seems to be washed off all its filth. Rain, according to my friend, brings us home, even if we can't say where that home is.

My love affair with the rain has gone on for years. It comes and it goes and the sun always shines after every downpour. I've grown hardened and scarred enough to even bother to make songs out of rainy days. But during quiet rainy evenings like these, I discover that some love affairs never end. They just go on, unnoticed.

I still love the rain. I love the sounds it makes when it hits the rooftops. I love the puddles it creates and the way it ruins clothes and shoes and schedules, making the poor and the rich equal in their dampness and frustration.

Of course, it's extremely difficult and painful to avoid thoughts of good conversations and ice cold beer and all those other good things I inadvertently lost, I still find comfort in a quiet rainy day. For some strange reason, a rainy day just seems to make the world a little less lonely and a little more capable of sympathy.

Perhaps raindrops are God's tears. And God brings us the rain to remind us that it's all right to cry. Because sometimes, He does cry too.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

From Rain Man (1988)

Charlie: When I was a little kid and I got scared, the Rain Man would come and sing to me.
Susanna: Rain what?
Charlie: Oh you know, one of those imaginary childhood friends.
Susanna: What happened to him?
Charlie: Nothing, I just grew up.

2 comments:

drrayms said...

Love this piece... never give up... you never know what the rains will bring!

And btw, love Rain Man... the character's name is Raymond!:). OH NO! autistic savant si Rain Man!

Walking on Water said...

thanks mother.
hehehe. i don't know why i'm drawn to dusin hoffman's character in that movie. perhaps it's the name "raymond", or perhaps it's because he was autistic. you know i have a fondness for both.;)