After spending a week in the rain in Seattle and points north - that were "lovely" days, I think I know a thing or two about rain. And with El Nino bearing down upon us like (insert funny simile here), you'd better heed these words:
During the rain, people don't know how to drive. Actually, they never did but dry roads are more forgiving than wet ones. They also can't see. Be careful out there, people.
After the rain it takes the ocean three days to be clean again. Makes me sad for the seals and dolphins and fish. Because they have to swim in and otherwise deal with (read digest) all our stuff. This stuff included manky old fungus in the otherwise dry storm drains, engine oil from roads, poop and chemicals from lawns and any number of other things.
Rain makes you melancholy and I just found out that the Japanese, until recently (more on that later), thought of melancholy as a necessary emotion. One in which you take psychological stock, think deeper thoughts than you normally do, have a sort of one-person retreat, and then emerge with a better appreciation for life and maybe a new mission statement. This is a good thing! Thank you rain and Barry Manilow songs.
So the "until recently" thing is this: American pharmaceutical companies have been on a five year marketing and public relations campaign to make melancholy depression so that they can sell Paxil. That makes me want to think about American pharmaceutical companies for two rainy days.
Have a good retreat, all. See you on the other side!
