The sound of the rain while I sit alone in my near silent apartment has to be one of the moments I feel the most grateful. The whistle of the wind, which sounds as if my neighbor is playing the recorder, and the patter of rain hitting the windows make me feel content and safe. I sort of feel like I’m inside this little bubble where nothing on the outside can get to me. The wind and the rain don’t sound or feel threatening to me, but there is a closeness that I feel to this very passive act of nature. It’s strange that I feel such an affinity for this weather that really has nothing to do with me. Weather feels personal, which to me is a strange notion. This may be because weather can make each of us feel a certain way and that seems out of our control. I feel calm and content when I hear the rain or see snow falling, but often I feel a degree of misery in the heat of the sun. The natural world comprises much more than weather, but ultimately I think nature plays a role in each of our lives in much deeper ways than we’re conscious of. Weather being personal may seem highly anthropocentric, but it also feels positive.
