Outtakes 360

Rainy Days and Mondays

By Cait Collins

Rain in the Texas Panhandle has two basic characteristics; too much or not enough. My sisters and I were driving home to Amarillo from Norman, Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago.  Rain followed us the entire way.  But when we finally made it to the south end of Amarillo that we encountered flooded streets.  My sister’s new Jeep did okay with the high water, but the real problem was the drivers who refused to take precautions when driving through the flood. They seemed to speed up when they approached a flooded section and threw muddy water on to the cars beside them. I breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled up in front of my apartment.

The deluge continued Monday morning.  I knew the areas that were often shut down when it rained so I planned to take an alternate route to work on Monday morning. Having been through heavy down-pours before, I packed extra shoes, a pair of slacks, and a towel. Juggling my dry clothes, my purse, and my briefcase, I braved the elements.

Rain continued, alternating between sprinkles and blinding down pours. I made it to the turn-off and turned right into a river fueled by the heavy rain and runoff. I was about half way to the office when I finally reached a wet but clear city street. The luck followed me to the

Office. Meandering my way from the car to the office door I escaped into the warm building My feet were soaked, my purse soaked, the wheels on my rolling briefcase made wet tracks in the carpet. Didn’t need my dry slacks, but the shoes and socks made the shivers go away. I had a good day at work. At the end of the day, I could look at my reports and see accomplishments. Not a bad day for a rainy day and a Monday.

This little story really has nothing to do with writing. It wasn’t a writing day. It was a vacation from the gloomy day. But maybe the real point is that we can find inspiration in the quiet of a rainy day and a Monday.