Why Every Adult Should Dance in the Rain
My obsession with the rain and never giving up on my childlike wonder.
As adults we’re expected to act a certain way — be a grown-up, be mature, be “adulty”.
Adulty — The horrifying moment when you are looking for an adult but then you realize you are an adult. So you look for an older adult. Someone successfully adulting. The Adultier Adult” ~ Urban Dictionary.
No, thank you! I will never give up on my childlike wonder!
Thanks to my love of the rain, I won’t have to. Don’t get me wrong, I love all weather Mother Nature throws our way, but I’m obsessed with the rain.
Whenever I hear it start to fall on our tin roof, I run outside like a child on Christmas morning and dance around in it.
If you’ve seen the movie Happy Gilmore, dancing in the rain, is my happy place.
My husband thinks I’m a little crazy but is no longer surprised when I do it. Now, that’s true love.
It’s just something I feel compelled to do. I’ve been doing it for years.
The other day, I found photos of myself in my mid-twenties, wearing a blue bikini, in my backyard at the time, arms outstretched, soaking wet, with an excited grin plastered across my face — raindrops frozen in time around me.
The Obsession Begins
This obsession first started when I was about ten years old.
We lived in a small country town at the time. I was walking home across an empty block. It took less than two minutes to get to my front door.
It was overcast, and I heard this rumble in the distance behind me, followed by the sound of rain hitting the ground. I turned and looked to the sky. Dark clouds rolled and swirled and I could see the rain falling but it wasn’t near me yet. It was coming.
Droplets were sprinting toward me — hitting houses, and trees, soaking the roads, and surprising the birds.
I turned toward home and ran as fast as my little legs would go.
I could hear it gaining on me — closer and closer like The Nothing from The Neverending Story, but a friendly cuddlier version.
The sound was exhilarating.
I was laughing like I was possessed — trying to outrun Mother Nature.
I was about seven metres from the shelter of our verandah when the rain beat me to it.
The large cold drops engulfed my whole being and drenched me in less than half a second. Then continued like a wave over the roof of my house.
I was about two metres from the house when I stopped running and broke out into some kind of rain dance. Though that was now somewhat redundant.
What would the neighbours think? A ten-year-old kid with crazy curls busting out dance moves in the middle of a rainstorm.
It wasn’t until thunder cracked the skies that I sh*t myself and raced inside.
The Obsession Lives On
Still, to this day, there’s something that comes alive inside of me when it rains. Sometimes I even get emotional.
I think this is because of how amazing this planet is, only to remember how we humans are destroying it, which makes me sad.
Nothing stops me from dancing. I don’t care if it’s cold, though I prefer mild evenings. I especially love it when the rain comes after a humid day. You can smell the freshness, and everything feels calm and renewed.
I enjoy a gentle breeze with my rain. I watch it dance through the trees in my garden until it washes over my face.
I inhale deeply and let the fresh, invigorating air fill my lungs. I breathe in the scents of my garden — a lavender, lemon and rosemary perfume — and thank the earth for its many wonders.
Mother nature is miraculous.
I feel most creative when it's overcast.
The light of the day changes — it feels later than it is and reminds me to snuggle under a blanket and write. So, I do just that.
Today is no different.
It’s raining here in Melbourne, Australia. However, the day is surprisingly mild for April.
I’m on leave from work, giving me some quality time to write some quality stories. I hope.
I’ve checked the forecast and rain is expected for the next few days. I’m stoked.
Your Turn
So next time you hear the rain come knocking on your roof, take a second to thank Mother Nature for all her wonders.
Tap into your inner child and dance in the rain.
I dare you.
How do you hold onto your childlike wonder? Let me know in the comments.
TAG, you’re it: Scot Butwell, Art Bram, The Sober Vegan Yogi, Michael L Butler, Jane Kelley, Daniel Williams, Brandon 🚣🏼🐝, David B. Clear, Rodrigo S-C (hope you don’t mind me starting a game of Tag with you all. Do with it what you will, write a story on your childlike wonder, add a comment or go dance in the rain!).
You can read more about my experience growing up as a country kid here: