The Magic of the Rain

When I was in College, I loved rainy days. I didn't mind the inconvenience of going to school because I loved the feel and smell of rain in the air. It just lifted my spirits in a way I couldn't explain.

I remember how my friends and I would take advantage of a rainy weekend night by driving to one of our favorite bars in Quezon City called East St. Louis (ESL). It had large glass windows and it was a perfect place to hang out during a rainy evening. We would spend the night talking, listening to our favorite music, drinking vodka, tequila and Bailey's and glancing out of the window to watch the rain pour down.

Life was so carefree back then. My parents were very lenient and I didn't have any curfew. Sometimes I would go home at 3 am without being grounded. My parents told me how much they trusted me. I kept my promise to do good in school and not get into trouble in exchange of curfew-free nightouts with friends.

I dated this guy for a while. He lived just a few blocks from ESL but he would drive all the way to pick me up in our house in Manila to go to ESL for a few drinks. There was a time when classes were suspended due to a typhoon. It was raining very hard and yet he asked me if I wanted to go to ESL and I said yes. While we were on the road, we felt the wrath of the typhoon. Leaves and small unidentified debris kept obstructing our view. It was crazy but weird how I found it exciting. I must have been out of my mind! When we arrived at ESL, people inside seemed oblivious to the storm happening outside. Everyone was just having a fun time. Imagine that! Those were the days, when I didn't care too much about safety. Shame on me!

Years have passed and the magic of the rain seemed to disappear. Ever since I became a mom, I detested the coming of the rainy season because it brought constant fear of diseases such as dengue. Rain also prevents us from enjoying afternoon strolls and playing in the backyard. Successive rainy days mean longer time for the laundry to dry and thunderstorms prevent me from turning on my computer to go online. Rain also causes major traffic buildup. It's amazing how my perspective about the rain had a complete turn around.

graphic source