Right As Rain

Ever had a conversation with someone that made you say, hmm I wonder who came up with that saying?  Of course you have.  There are so many phrases and words in our vocabulary, and we honestly have no idea where they originated from and why we use them.  We just know they sound good, and it seems to make perfect sense so it's added to our mental database and used when necessary.  That is, until you hear something that fits the scenario, but it just doesn't quite add up so you embark upon a quest to find out why.  

​A conversation with a friend of mine, who by the way is an amazingly talented writer, said, 'That's about as right as rain.  You know, one of those idioms I was talking about in my last post'.  I said, 'Well rain is pretty awesome, unless of course it is about to ruin your plans, then maybe not so much?'  Doesn't answer the question though.  So, the light bulbs went off, and we were both kinda stuck with the deer in a headlight gaze.  See, here we go again.  But what does right as rain mean though?  I volunteered to have a go at it, let's see what I came up with!

​No one is more disappointed in seeing a few dark clouds in the sky than someone who doesn't want to see a few dark clouds in the sky.  Your plans for the day do not include toting an umbrella or wearing sensible shoes.  Headed to the park, planning to drop the top on the convertible, just left the salon, and the possibilities of the day are wide open and you can't wait to get out and enjoy it.  Maybe if you pretend it's not coming, it will wait for another day.  But we all know that's not how it works, so you'll just check the forecast and stop worrying.  Cloudy with a seventy percent chance of rain.  Great!  You have a choice, you can either cancel your plans at the park, or roll the dice and hope the sun will make an appearance.  The weather reports are never accurate anyway, and the sun is shining a little behind that sea of darkness in the sky.  There is no way you are passing up the opportunity to show off your new hairdo.  Besides, that guy, you know his name, asked you out on a second date.  Off to the park you go!  One exit away and you hear what resembles thunder, or maybe that was the sound of base dropping on that last song.  Wishful thinking has never sounded so innocent.  Too late to turn back now, and just in case, you are locked and loaded with the giant umbrella you won at the company picnic last year.  Yey you!

Rain has been known to come without notice, so my recommendation is to be prepared at all times.  Ever taken a walk in the rain on a hot summer day with that special 'friend'?  Well if you haven't, try it and thank me later.  The sound of rain hitting the pavement is like a smooth melody, drop after drop.  Depending on the intensity it can resemble the beat of a drum or sound as gentle and light as a violin playing in the lowest key.  There is a consistent inconsistency about it, that makes it hard to express, and equally hard to truly hate.  The smell of rain on a cool spring morning or a hot summer day is always the same.  Hard to define, but it's like a breath of fresh air that you can't seem to get enough of.  You suddenly have this urge to run out in it and just feel like a kid for a brief moment.  Raise the windows, hit the mute button on the television and listen to simple perfection. 

As perfect as I just made that sound, there are some who would choose to disagree.  Even I dislike rain while I'm fighting traffic or preparing to travel, but what Mother Nature says, must go, so that is that.  I searched for a few definitions of this idiom and the one that fits what is often used states the following, "Right as rain means; absolutely fine or perfect; in perfectly functioning order, a good outcome".  Now that you know what it means, how many times in your life has this applied?  Probably more than you can count on two hands!  You had a great first date, your car was fixed by the best mechanic in town, and your recent review at work was even better than expected.  Most definitions were borrowed or made up by someone in the first place, so you either go along with it or write your own versions of what makes sense to you. 
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So, what happened to the day at the park you wonder?  Well, it rained!  But that didn't cancel the plans.  Walking towards the entrance she thought, 'Maybe I got lucky and the rain chose to wait for another day, just as I wished!'  As soon as the first drop of rain hit her face, she wanted to scream and cry, but since she had her enormously giant umbrella, might as well put it to use.  As she prepared to turn around and leave, she received a phone call from you know his name.  'Meet me by the pond, there is a covered pavilion where we can sit and talk'.  Her mind was going into overdrive, and she began to think maybe this was a sign to just try again some other time.  But, she spent all morning at the hair salon, she had driven all this way, and she really wanted to see him, so why not.  As she got closer to her destination, she wondered if the date would become awkward, but she took a deep breath and put on her happy face.  To her surprise, he had laid out a blanket, prepared a picnic basket and even brought flowers.  She wondered if this was real or if a drop of rain had gotten into her eye.  The conversation was great, they seemed to talk about any and everything.  They smiled and laughed, and time seemed to be in suspension.  She even said, 'Oh wow, it finally stopped raining'.  They both laughed because it was raining even harder than before they arrived.  It was then she realized, at this moment, everything was absolutely fine. 

The moral of my story is this.  Even when things seem so out of sync and your day/life seems like a total wash, we have to learn to give in to chance and realize that some of the greatest things come with a few storms.  The strongest people have many stories to tell that didn't always start out as a fairy tale but ended as one.   

So did we really learn the answer here?  I sure hope so, but if not, at least we know what isn't wrong with rain!  Gotta start somewhere.  Look at it this way, if you don't already own a jazzy pair of rain boots with a super cute umbrella to match, there is no time like the present.  After all, there has to be a reason the sun always shines after a little rain, the plants perk up, and the birds start singing.  It's because it's so right!  ☔️

~AJ