Floods
It’s raining like a son of a bitch outside. I like that. I like a soft, gentle rain when I’m walking outside and I’m not quite enough of a masochist that I’d go out on a night like this but I love being inside and hearing it and feeling it. My wife wanted to close the door to the balcony but I like having it open. I like the feeling in the air as the barometric pressure drops, that sudden release and relief from the tensions of a long, hot day, I like the sounds of the drops pounding on the windows and the thunder rumbling, I like the sight of the drops of water glistening as they fall through the light of the streetlights and the lightning lighting up the sky like free, god given (it’s a figure of speech) fireworks. I’m one of those annoying people who make comments like “it makes the flowers grow,” but I really, sincerely do like thinking about the fact that it makes the world a cleaner and greener place.
My wife, on the other hand, pointed out that this is really bad for the people in the flooded regions in the northwest of the Czech Republic, the southwest of Poland and the eastern part of Germany. Her aunt lives in Zgorszelecz (spelling? who the fuck knows- in German it’s Gerlitz, which is much easier) but she’s not anywhere near the river.
Floods are a bit like tornadoes. They are a big disaster if you are right in the path of one, not such a big deal if you are a bit removed. They are also a bit like earthquakes. You might feel one at a distance and say “Eh. I’ve been through an earthquake, no big deal.” But if you talk to someone who was near the epicenter, they’ll tell you and they’ll tell you at great length that it is a terrifying, life-changing experience.
It’s a big week for floods. My home state of Iowa has also been hit hard, as has Pakistan. Good luck to everyone involved, I hope you manage to keep safe. But I still love the sound of the rain.
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