DEFINITIONS: 1-perceive /pərˈsēv/ verb: to become aware or conscious of (something); come to realize or understand. 2-precipitation /prəˌsipəˈtāSH(ə)n/ noun; rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. 3-perceivpitation /pərˈsēvp əˈtāSH(ə)n/ verb; to become consciously aware of something you didn’t realize or understand during a rain storm… of course it could also mean you’re aware it’s raining.
“Step back non-believers or the rain will never come. Someone start that fire burning, somebody beat the drum. He said some may think I’m crazy for making all these claims.
But I swear before this day is over- you folks are gonna see some rain!” Excerpt from “Lizzie and the Rain-man” from the B-side of the 7” single- “Traveling Salesman,” by Tanya Tucker, circa 1975.
Apparently Tanya’s rain-man has been putting in some sporadic overtime, considering the continuous random showers that have peppered the area in the past few weeks. These little cloud bursts have been so unpredictable even satellite weather can’t seem to keep up with them. And yes as many always say, “we do need the rain” but for the love of Jehovah couldn’t it all just come at once? Not wishing for flood waters or torrential rain accompanied by hurricane winds. But couldn’t there be just a little smidge of consistency to the recycled water delivery from the sky?
The morning is overcast and the steady pitter-patter of rain trickles down. Well, there go any outdoor plans for the day. No frolicking in the sunshine (I do so love a good frolic). That painting project is put on hold. There will be no yard work today. And the mowing… ha-ha well screw that anyway- mowing sucks –WHOO HOO!
And then it stops. The sun bursts through the clouds and the temperature soars up about maybe a bazillion degrees. Any foolish attempt to step outside is met with a humidified bitch-slap to the face and besides everything’s all wet and mucky anywho. Stuck inside, the meandering begins… the sofa oft calls and seems so inviting.
As evening comes on things dry up and the temperature becomes tolerable. An ever so small window of outdoor comfort opens. Many take this opportunity and leap through to do battle with their over-watered lawns. Mowing sucks but must be done and they’d better hurry up and do it because that window is rapidly being closed, by dark clouds on the horizon. And cue yet another pre-summer shower.
Mowers abandoned, retreating back to the safe and dry, pausing… and a moment of perceivpitation dawns. There is an unheard sound masked by the silent fall of the rain. There are no shouts of glee, no laughter, no sounds of frolic; is this silence so deafening that you can’t hear the children? No, because there are no children to be heard. But where are they? Why, they’re in the same place they’d be on a pleasant sunny day—tucked away indoors, with dark eyes peering from pale skin at small screens. Puddle jumping, borrowing daddy’s umbrella for an adventure in the rain and just being outside in general have become things of the past, old TV shows and arthritis commercials. In the grand scheme of things it’s truly disheartening. The rain comes down and the lost innocence of the world around closes in.
Things are different nowadays…but not the rain. As much as the world may change the rain is forever the same. Oh, it may fall differently, faster, slower, bigger, smaller or sideways but it’s always the same water, it always has been and forever more will be. The driving precipitation that drives you from your half-cut lawn is composed of the same water that once ran down dinosaur backs. Or that Christ walked upon, depending on your religious versus evolutionary beliefs. All which can be questioned and countered and yet you cannot deny the longevity of the rain.
It’s not like our planet gets an intergalactic delivery of a fresh billion or so gallons of H2O every couple hundred years. No, here in our sealed, earth bound terrarium it’s always the same water, the same rain. Precipitation, evaporation, condensation; wash, rinse, repeat the shampoo algorithm seems to apply. An endless repetition that we all take for granted. So much so we neglect to realize the lasting negative effects we have on this precious resource during the rinse cycle.
Now don’t worry, we are not gonna wrap this up with an anti-pollution or water conservation rant. Most people don’t like to worry about or choose to ignore the impact the human condition makes on the environment. So, gawd forbid we deny anyone of any of life’s little luxuries taken at nature’s expense. But we will point out something we’re all guilty of and perhaps should consider.
How many times have you finished off a bottle of water or any bottled beverage for that matter (they all contain water—duh) then sealed the cap tight and thrown it away? Now precisely how in hell are the water droplets trapped in that plastic container ever going to evaporate, condensate and precipitate? How much potential rain, which represents a finite human resource, have we buried in landfills? Next time you’re watching the rain it’s something to perceivpitate on.
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Hope to hear from ya, until then try and stay focused. See ya!
