Friday Prompt — How Do I Connect With The Universe When It’s Raining Outside

Summary

The author reflects on personal challenges with creativity and connectivity during a rainy day in London, finding solace in domestic joys and the company of a loved one.

Abstract

The article captures a reflective moment in time where the author grapples with a creative block amidst the backdrop of a rainy London afternoon in June. Despite the bleakness of current events and a stagnant period of life, the author seeks ways to engage with the universe and maintain a sense of optimism. The narrative describes a transition from a stifled state of mind to a moment of connection and creativity, sparked by a simple act of dancing with a partner, followed by cooking a comforting meal together. The author concludes that such small, meaningful interactions with loved ones and the act of preparing food can offer a sense of fulfillment and lightness, serving as a reminder that rich experiences can be found in everyday life, even in times of isolation or disconnection.

Opinions

The author expresses a struggle with creativity in the face of a prolonged period of stagnation and bleak world events.
Engaging with nature, through activities like gardening, is seen as a method to connect with the universe and focus on the future.
The unexpected rain serves as a metaphor for the unpredictability of life and the need to adapt one's plans and mood.
Music and dance are portrayed as catalysts for breaking free from a bleak mindset, fostering spontaneous joy and connection.
The act of cooking and sharing a meal is presented as a comforting and connecting experience, enhancing the author's sense of well-being.
The author suggests that simple pleasures, such as a dance with a loved one and home-cooked food, can be antidotes to feelings of entrapment and melancholy.

Diana C. challenged writers and readers this Friday to write a response using this prompt ‘Inhibiting the communion & playful interaction with the Universe’. So here's my take on a rainy London afternoon in June.

I know the Earth is huge and round and full. I know there is so much to do and see and learn. But not every morning is as easy as the last. We have had time the past year, time to reflect, time to change our minds over and over again. But it’s been a stagnant time.

I was asked a few months ago if I’d done any more work on a play I’d been trying to write. I half-laughed;

How can I be creative when it’s all been so bleak.

I have the intention but no words, no ideas. Ideas seemed to pour out like a tap, now it’s as if someone did not pay the bill and I’ve been cut off.

The past few days in London have seen a hot sun take a hold of the capital, normal service has resumed at the pubs, and lattes have now become iced. I spent yesterday tending to plants and to my soul alike. Growing veg, growing plants. That always connects me to the universe and lets me focus softly on the future without getting a headache.

Today, there has been a blip, the clouds have caught up with themselves… I’d needn’t have watered the tomatoes so much yesterday after all… So I am inside, and the whole wide expansive universe is outside. Isn’t it?

I canceled a plan, I didn’t bother fully dressing and I stared at my laptop screen blankly, I was minutes away from crawling back to bed and watching Netflix and sleeping the day away…

But a song came on through Spotify, it’s one of my partner's favorites. She perked up from her desk in the corner, (where she’s busy every day doing rich people’s taxes). I look up at her and I grab her waist and we dance steadily in the kitchen together.

Suddenly the day doesn’t seem so bleak, I couldn’t connect with the outside, but I could connect to her. I made a tomato and courgette pasta, extra saucy, that’s how she likes it. She said it was my best yet.

Feeling fuller, but much lighter I finished a job application.

My advice: When you’re feeling trapped and a little down, a little dance with someone you love and simple food can go a long way.