It was 8PM when I walked out the door of Urban Rethink after a long day. Before taking another step forward, I looked up into the night sky and saw rain being illuminated by a little light a few doors down. In a split second, I made the decision to stay put under the shelter of a narrow awning that covered the Rethink entrance way. Underneath the awning, a woman stood in a dimly lite corner waiting for her ride to pick her up. This was our conversation:
Me: When I was a kid, I use to believe I could dodge rain drops but I never could.
Woman: (Laughter) Yeah, I remember doing the same thing when I was a kid. It was so much fun!
Me: I still try to dodge rain drops but I think the older you get, the more ridiculous it becomes. At some point, you should stop trying.
[Her ride pulls ups and she runs out]
Woman: I don't think you should ever stop trying! Nice to meet you!
As I stood there watching her walk out to her ride, I realized she was right. When I think back on it, I'm not sure why I refused to walk into the rain because my backpack, which had my laptop in it, was waterproof and I was wearing a free t-shirt, a pair of shorts with a small hole in them and $4 dollar flip flops from Target. So, what was holding me back? Nothing! I stepped into the rain.
While en route to my car, I tried to dodge rain like a kid again and thought about the time I traveled down a dirt road during a storm in Sierra Leone while holding a child's hand. Moseying along, I noticed everyone else was huddled under shelter but I...I was free! My circumstances and condition allowed me to enjoy the God given rain that took me back to my childhood, Sierra Leone and the excitement of a first kiss. Thank you Lord for the lady in the dark corner who helped me realized a walk in the rain is more magical and refreshing than a walk on a sunny day!
Kyle Christian Steele
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