…and praying for rain -well it’s a start, but it may not be enough. It is one of those days when I feel the inequality in the world and it takes my breath away. We are all supposed to be equal in the sight of the ‘God’. What about in the sight of each other?
We are almost in a famine situation and governments are saying…’its ok, its only a drought’, when nearly half a million people are filling Dadaab, Kenya and more are coming, everyday. It continues to astound me the resilience of the human spirit. Women in Somalia walking for weeks, carrying children two at a time for distances and then going back to pick up more to get to camps and I can’t be arsed to go to the shop for a pint of milk. Now that is really crappy. It continues to humble me and realise that anything I could possibly find to complain about is just about static in my head and out my mouth. I have nothing to moan about and I cannot look the other way. There are ways to help that may feel small and insignificant but little steps all help, even if just a prayer.
I sometimes think the quiet helping is the best, as it is so easy for helping to be loud and public so as to possibly alleviate guilt or preen the ego, or just feel better about oneself, which is of course only natural, but we so often find ourselves defaulting into guilt mode instead of compassion. I do think being able to do something good for someone else without them knowing should be a daily venture.
I often think about the sound of rain. The tinkling sound of raindrops hitting the bottom of cheap metal buckets. The sound of torrential rain when you are under canvas or in a caravan. How we in our temperate climate moan about the rain when it comes with any sort of force or energy. If there is a bit, we comment that “we must have needed it” as if we know! Most of us are so far removed from knowing whether we need it or not…… I love the sound of rain. It helps me sleep. I have a husband who works outside so I notice the rain when we are separated, and wonder how he is doing, and he hardly ever stops working in the rain. But then too much rain can be as damaging as no rain at all. Like all the elements, there is a power in there being not enough or too much.
Walking in the rain is fine if you are not very clothed, or waterproofed up. Rain and denim do not go together. If your jeans are touching the floor in no time the water will seep all the way up to your waist and then you will get cold and damp and very uncomfortable. Wellies again……and waterproof gear will help.
SONG OF THE DAY – Buckets of Rain-Bob Dylan
I have been playing with some lyrics about buckets of rain for about a month and then today googled buckets of rain and here it is! The perfectly formed song about buckets of rain. sigh……