It’s been pouring rain the last few days, the kind that seems to have whispers of Jazz music woven into the raindrops so you hear the rhythm as it falls from the dark sky. If you stand still enough you can feel the wind envelope you into its warm embrace so even as you become soaked all you feel is peace. That’s why I take every chance I get to go out into the rain.

I don’t care what it does to my hair, that I have to wipe makeup out of my eyes or later peel my clothes off like they’re a second skin which can be a little difficult depending on what I’m wearing. For that time all that exists is me and nature.

I need that time for the world to go silent. For politics, hate and potential civil wars to just stop. I need a reset. It’s not that I don’t care about what is happening on the contrary I care a great deal, but sometimes it all gets too much. No matter how loud the fighting gets or how violent, how many monuments get toppled, whether a hard border goes up between the North and South of Ireland, if missiles from NK actually make it beyond the ocean or whatever else is trending it’s not going to stop because people enjoy hating something and fighting too much.

Humanity has been fighting and killing each other since it first arrived on this planet. Peace is nothing but a dream we tell our adult selves just like when we were kids they said the boogeyman wasn’t real so we could sleep at night. The thing is they lied to us then just like we are lying to ourselves now because the boogeyman IS real – WE are the monster that has been hiding waiting to terrorize you.

When the rain begins to fall and the jazz notes start playing I don’t care if someone thinks I look ridiculous standing out there getting soaked, dancing between raindrops or just laying against a tree enjoying how soft it becomes. At least I’m living and enjoying what this planet can provide instead of just tearing it apart.