My 100-Foot Journey, Walking in the Rain Without an Umbrella
I went to the gym recently, and I had my phone on the reading rack in front of me while I completed several thousand revolutions on an elliptical machine. All of a sudden, the harmony of several dozen cardio machines buzzing in unison was disrupted by a digital cacophony of an equal number of mobile phones, sounding their high-pitched alarms. It was a flash flood warning, and within one minute the rain poured, drumming on the ceiling and pattering on the large glass windows in front of me.
I finished my workout and went outside. I didn’t have an umbrella and there were people standing by the entrance, shielded from the rain underneath the awning. They were all waiting for the rain to stop so that they could walk over to their cars in the parking lot, with distances ranging from twenty to perhaps two-hundred feet.
I wondered whether I should join the others in waiting for the rain to stop, since I didn’t have an umbrella, but quickly came to the realization that I had no control over the rain. Other than a brief moment of discomfort, the rain would have no effect on me. I had just finished working out, so I was sweaty, and my sweat-soaked gym clothes would be no more or less presentable, no matter how much rain they absorbed.
Isn’t it funny how we are so conditioned to fear and avoid the elements? Sure, some of the people who waited by the entrance probably showered at the gym, and put on fresh clothes before heading home, but it’s a local gym and I expect that most preferred to shower in their homes as I did.
As it turns out, that momentary discomfort had no impact on my life. No matter how drenched I got in the rain, I would have performed the same exact actions when I got home. I made my decision, and I walked to my car, in the rain, without an umbrella. Imagine that!
As I began my hundred-foot journey to my vehicle, I heard someone shot after me, “run!” And I walked. As it turns out, the rain wasn’t uncomfortable at all. In fact, it was rather pleasant to have cool rain hit my skin after my exercise session.
The truth is, either action would have been perfectly fine. Had I waited with everyone else, I could have practiced patience. And, were I to wait patiently for the rain to slow down or end, I could have practiced extroversion by starting a conversation. I could even have used my time in some other way.
But, I chose to leave at that moment and it wasn’t that uncomfortable. I like the rain sometimes, and it continued raining on and off that day, and into the next day. To hear about my walking meditation, and the sounds I focused that following morning, watch the video below.
