Mainly Afternoon Showers

Today is a rainy day in Mississippi. I think people who write love rainy days, because they feel a little like everyone else. On sunny days, writing seems like an unlikely thing to do. I really have to battle being indoors when it's beautiful outside. Too much sunshine, too much blue sky, too much fresh air, too much beach! I can hardly bear to be sitting at a computer when I know I could be sitting on the sand. So I usually follow stages of progression that lead me outside. First, I raise the blinds. At least, I can SEE the blue skies. Then I raise the windows or open the door, so I can FEEL the warm sunshine or SMELL the fresh air. Finally, I just press save and shut down - too much distraction for the senses! I gather up all my goodies - mp3 player, journal and pencil, favorite book, cell phone, camera - and put them in my bicycle basket. As I jump on my bike, I acknowledge the fact that I look like an unemployed beach bum and that I should be doing something constructive; but then I think, I'll just save all that productiveness for a rainy day...

...like today. When my youngest son was a toddler, it did not take him long to associate certain phases with disappointment or dismay. Of course, time out was at the top of the list, as was 'jamas on. However, the funniest phases had to do with weather. As a stay-at-home mom, early morning forecasts were very important to me. I usually started my morning with the television meteorologist, and his forecast always helped in planning my day or ruining my day...as Matt soon learned.

TODAY'S BIG STORY: Matt is so funny about the morning "weatherman". He thinks that the weatherman decides what the weather will be for the day during his morning broadcast, like the daily horoscope. I used to laugh at this notion, until I actually looked up meteorologist in my thesaurus. I found synonyms such as fortune teller, sorcerer, seer, oracle...oh, and finally there it is, forecaster. To Matt, the weatherman is like a palm reader or prophet who has the power to predict the future of the day. I can't help but laugh when the weatherman predicts mainly afternoon showers! It's like the kiss of death for a day of playing outside! When Matt hears the phrase, he just crosses his arms and stomps back to bed. "Not mainly afternoon showers!" he responds in disgust. Today, I have decided to use the rainy day opportunity to sit at my desk and write my own weather story for the Tomorrow Trunk. My forecast is that the story will be read on many rainy days to come.

MAINLY AFTERNOON SHOWERS

The weatherman woke me up this morning, and this is what he said.
"Mainly afternoon showers."
I ran back to bed and covered my head.

A mostly sunny day, or partly cloudy - that's okay,
but not mainly afternoon showers - not today.

A good hard freeze, a nice southerly breeze,
but no mainly afternoon showers - please.

Lots of sunlight, not a cloud in sight,
but not mainly afternoon showers.
(How about showers overnight?)

A chance of snow, a high or low,
but no mainly afternoon showers...no, No, NO!

No fair and clear, no fair for here,
just mainly afternoon showers everywhere.

No shadow to chase, no strong wind to face,
only mainly afternoon showers all over the place.

It's inside for napping, for waiting and sitting,
inside for reading and rocking and wishing -
inside for mainly afternoon showers.

Then I heard the weatherman say something else.
All of a sudden, I shook myself!
"Whatever you plan to do, do it this morning!"

Gotta get up! Gotta get moving!
No time for sleeping, for snoring or snoozing!

I jump out of bed, my feet hit the floor
to the playground, to the park, to the great outdoors!

No time to waste, no time to worry!
No time for waiting! Hurry! Hurry!

Mainly afternoon showers are coming this way.
Skies that are blue will soon turn to gray.
But I can't let them stop me today-
I still have the whole morning to PLAY!

Dianne B. McLaurin. Copyright, 1992.

Weather has always been big news at our house. The Weather Channel is still a family favorite! But, weather has also been a metaphor for life. Clouds, rain, silver linings, storms, sunshine - I have weathered them all. Sometimes I think about buying a laptop, so that I can take it outside and write on sunny days. But, I have learned a good lesson from Matt. Mainly afternoon showers are on the way, so take advantage of the time that you have to play!

Dianne ; )