It is raining, one of those long grey days that has finally let itself go and the weeping has begun. Somehow the day feels relieved now that the rain has started. The cloud cover has been so dense that it has been hard not to notice its impending flood of tears. Now that it has started it feels almost as if the sky is finally giving itself the freedom to make peace with its own tempest. And for some reason this is incredibly calming.
The forces of nature can be that at times. It is almost as if they struggle for you, easing away the stresses that you would carry yourself if they did not so admirably do so instead.
It makes me think of our ancestors and how closely they connected to the seasons. They way they lived with and for the land, the air and the sea. As a people we have come to take this for granted in so many ways. Yet in this simple rain shower we can learn so much. The roses outside my home will no doubt lift their heads in sheer joy for nature's gift. For those of us that felt the gathering gloom and surrendered to the peace of the rain once it came, there was a different yet life-embueing gift proferred. And while I can imagine the frustration of the motorists as they sweep by in the mists created by the rain, I can't help but wonder what small joy they are receiving without even knowing it.
What would it take to reconnect the average person to the ancestral vision of man and land as one? What kind of world would come if we had that intrinsic connection again? Where we did indeed feel blessed by sun, wind and rain. Would all of the motions toward "green" become more tangible? Would we actually find more time to spend outside rather than in? Are the luxuries we think we need dispensable - if they bring us closer to the land and to each other as people? I realize we are not likely to give up sanitation, running water, certain levels of communication, shelter and transportation, but what would we forego to commune with that which does indeed provide us our true sustenance?
They say that winter can drive people into depression. Perhaps these are our natural nomads. Those people who are meant to follow the sun. Yet because of our social systems, etc., they are locked in and cannot do so without risking their livelihoods. If this is true, then that instinctual link to nature is certainly not lost to us. The question is - what will we do with that instinct - or will we do anything at all? Except perhaps enjoy the rain when it comes and adjust our clocks to garner a few more moments of sunlight as the cycle changes each year.
What do you think?
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