All a Matter of Perspective

Having lived most of my life in a place where rain is not often in the forecast (except in rare, apocalyptic amounts), I have had to make some adjustments while living in Japan. I used to morph into Grumpy Cat when I woke up to a dark, cloudy, rainy day that would make a perfect backdrop for an anti-depressant commercial. This morning, I opened the door and saw a deluge of rain, but decided to accept it and be okay with it. “Alright, rain,” I said (because I am weird and talk to forms of precipitation sometimes), “you are here today. There’s nothing I can do to change that, so I am going to embrace your presence.” The rain gave me a symbolic thumbs-up in response, cheering me on. The rain and I have a pretty solid relationship, and I want to keep it as such.

Just embrace it!

So, equipped with my new attitude of acceptance, I got dressed in my rain boots and walked to work with a cheerful bounce in my gait. I probably looked like an idiot, but I couldn’t have cared any less. Many Japanese people, and people all over the world, see the rain as an excuse to skip the gym. In my opinion, it is the perfect reason to go to the gym. What’s better than hitting the elliptical machine and then rewarding yourself with a nice dip in the outdoor hot tub afterwards? Relaxing in a steamy spa in the rain is one of the best experiences.

These guys know what's up

I have also accepted that I am just not good at umbrellas, proved by the fact that even when I use one, I manage to arrive at my destination sopping wet. There are some days when I wish I were blessed with the super power to generate a rain-repelling force field around me. But, there are much worse things than getting a little wet (or, completely drenched in my case) in the rain. So, the rain and I have decided not just to reconcile our differences, but to embrace a beautiful friendship, because it’s all a matter of how you look at things in life. The rain can make you a Grumpy Cat, or a Happy Cat. It’s up to you.

Your choice.