raining sheets (Photo credit: mytimemachine)It's a cloudy day in L.A. The forecast is rain starting Friday night and lasting into Sunday morning. I don't mind. Here in Los Angeles rain is always welcomed. Overcast skies stir memories for me, though sunny skies certainly invoke thoughts of good days as well.
If I look at a cloudy day photo my typical reaction is that I'm looking at something cold, yet I know that a cloudy day is just as apt to be stifling hot as much as it might be bitter cold. Perhaps it's the memories of snowy winter days or days of chilling rains. Gray skies somehow seem dismal to many of us, but I have a fondness for cool cloudy days.
A cool cloudy day invites me to stay inside and do indoor things. My mind starts conjuring projects like cleaning closets or organizing books and CDs. I dream of the day in bed just catching up on reading or darkening the living room and watching movies--perhaps all three Lord of the Rings DVDs viewed consecutively or something like that. A day of nothing but relaxation sounds like a dream come true. A cloudy rainy day invites just that. The reality is that I probably won't do this.
When I was young and didn't have any real life supporting responsibilities to weigh me down, I could savor my cloudy days. I would spend time organizing my stamp collection, building models, or just playing. Somehow these activities felt immensely productive and meaningful and I suppose in a sense they were at the time. There might even be cloudy days when I would clean out my closet or dresser drawers. That especially felt like an accomplishment.
There were always books. I read voraciously rain or shine, but cloudy cold days were especially conducive to escaping in the written word. We didn't have videos or DVDs then; I watched movies on television. When the weather didn't invite me outdoors I might watch something on television if there was something worth watching. It seemed like I was never at a loss to find something to entertain my time.
Adulthood brought work responsibilities which sometimes meant going out into the cold gray of day whether I felt like it our not. Leisure took a different form for me and came in smaller doses. If I had an obligation I might have to face the rain and accept the cold. That's life and I don't have a problem with that, but can I ever recapture that feeling that tomorrow will take care of itself and for now nothing else really matters?
These days even though the days might be cloudy, it's difficult to keep my head in the clouds.
