Sopping

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You can take the girl out of Seattle, but…


It started as such a good idea. On New Years’ Day, Greta had done a mega-Seattle walk, 10+ miles with her digital camera, taking pictures of noteworthy things. So, I decided that today, I would follow suit and take several hours to explore Nashville on foot, using my new camera to document the things that caught my attention.

Above is the only picture that I took.

The first hour of the walk, I talked on the phone and ignored my surroundings. I wound up at Crema, a new-ish coffee shop with the best Americano I have had in Nashville to date. At this point, the sky was getting darker and heavier, and my Seattle instincts told me that rain was on the way.

As I weighed my options – brave the rain or stay at Crema forever – I perused the art on the walls at the coffee shop. They are currently featuring works by Aaron Grayum – delightful, whimsical paintings based on his childhood. Particularly, this one stood out:


It was a sign, right? I should brave the storm, right?

I did.

There comes a point in every girl’s life when it is simply impossible to be any more wet. And at that point, you boldly stand on street corners, embracing the fact that the passing cars will send tidal waves your way. You do not avoid, but rather, walk straight through puddles, allowing water to slosh into your sneakers. You smile at your fellow man caught in the same storm, bound together by your drenched circumstances.

And when you get home, you peel the 10 lbs. worth of wet cotton off of your body and take the most luxuriously hot shower known to man. And you know that that? What you just did? When you let your mascara run and didn’t care that your hair got ruined and accepted the fact that I am powerless over this situation so I might as well enjoy it? Is liberation.

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6 Comments

  1. chez béziat on March 15, 2008 at 7:43 PM

    And what a great picture of your liberation at that. ;)

    Cool post.

  2. bec on March 15, 2008 at 8:56 PM

    khool man. literally.

  3. Greta on March 15, 2008 at 9:19 PM

    YES!!! That’s exactly it!! You come to a point where you just think, “To hell with it!” and throw off your hood and tip back your face and just LAUGH. The best feeling ever. I love getting unavoidably soaked in thunderstorms, exactly for that moment. I remember all the different times it’s happened in my life, and I’ve loved every one of them, and have always found a story to walk away with.

    I’m so proud of you. And I feel so special for inspiring the trek, even though it didn’t turn out quite like New Year’s. :) I LOVE the thunder storm moment. That’s living. THAT is living!!!

  4. Deborah Barnett on March 15, 2008 at 10:19 PM

    Love. It.

  5. Allie, Dearest on March 16, 2008 at 12:19 AM

    Did you read how I went running in the rain today? I sure did.

    Us Seattle girls are notoriously rain risking. I knew that cars that passed me were probably laughing or wondering why I would be out in such weather.

    But it was wonderful. Refreshing.

  6. Elle on March 17, 2008 at 1:14 PM

    This happened to me in Rome. All day we refused to buy an umbrella because we were Seattlelites and we can handle rain. At least, Seattle rain. But, when your sandal starts floating down the river that used to be the street, you just have to embrace the moment. ;) Love that you didn’t let it stop your adventure.

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