Today Marty's work load got scooted around unexpectedly and he ended up spending a few hours at home with us this afternoon. We ended up deciding to go on a walk around the neighborhood, even though it had been raining off and on, and there were still dark clouds looming. It wasn't too cold, so we went for it.
I have never much liked getting wet. This probably stems from the reality that I've been a little high maintenance for most of my adult(ish) life. Ever since about high school when I started doing my hair and makeup, and definitely since that first year of college when my dorm mates taught me how to do hair and makeup reasonably well. Suffice it to say, water has always meant the undoing of all of that hard work. It has also meant the vulnerability of not looking all put together anymore. Oh the horror! Well that, and the miserable feeling of wet sticky clothes. Blechhh.
Alright, back to the walk. I was not excited about the possibility of getting rained on (see above remarks on the matter), but I didn't want to be a buzzkill when Marty suggested going on a walk, so out we went. Peter was sort of riding/scooting along on a tricycle and I was pushing Carolyn in a stroller. We were walking to a neighbor's house to return something we had borrowed last week, so we had a certain distance to go and return, and Peter was going sooo slow. I wanted to walk fast so as to lessen my chances of getting rained on, but about three quarters of the way to the neighbor's house, it started to rain again. At first I was annoyed. Then I started asking myself why I cared about getting rained on.
My hair had just air dried today after swimming laps this morning, why should I care if it got wet? I didn't have much makeup on, and it was the end of the day anyway, why did I care if I came off? We were literally a block from home, I could easily change my clothes as soon as we were home, why was I worried about being stuck in wet sticky clothes? And just like that, all of the sudden I felt liberated! I could enjoy walking in the rain! I could just let go of all of the silly reasons I had for not wanting to get rained on and simply enjoy a spring shower.
How many other potentially fun or wonderful moments have I missed out on because of silly concerns that I was preoccupied with? When I was single, I always heard the phrase that women "let themselves go" after they get married, so many single guys were worried about that. That their future wife would stop putting the same time and effort into looking pretty.
Well, then yes, I am letting myself go. And sometimes it feels pretty dang good to let myself go.Labels: Family, Personal Growth