Since my official facebook christening as a "NEWARK HERO!" (not even kidding, I took a quiz and everything) I've been more open to walking to and from work (once I get off the train at Newark Broad Street station) instead of taking the light rail from NBS to Newark Penn and then to another stop across the street from work. Despite a growing number of dark clouds (like, seriously dark clouds) in the sky, I neglected to grab an umbrella as I was leaving the office. Additionally, today I had limited time to catch the express from NBS back to South Orange, so I made the executive decision that I would roll the dice and could do the 12 minute walk before the skies opened up and drenched this Newark Hero in a torrential downpour.
You can probably guess where this is going.
About 3 or 4 minutes into the walk, just long enough that it didn't make any sense to go back to the light rail station across the street from work but still with definitely more than half way to go, a raindrop hits the back of my neck. Not a small raindrop either. And I think to myself, "This could be bad." More drops. "Oh boy. Typical really. This isn't going to end well." Rain beginning to get close to starting. "Do I have any real options here? Go back, no, go forward... well... I guess... screw it." Rain begins. Not just light rain, either. It's funny; in New Jersey I think I've been a part of one, maybe two, thunderstorms. They don't really happen out here. So while this wasn't a thunderstorm, this was large raindrops, heavy rain, full out "you chose... unwisely" type situation. So in my black slacks, black dress shoes, silver dress shirt with black buttons that I wore to Loyalty either junior or senior year (I can't remember... but I'm pretty sure I wore it to one of those), and Kenneth Cole black leather messenger bag, I become absolutely soaked. In the next 3-4 minutes my hair becomes completely wet, shirt drenched, shoes getting full of water...
And as the clouds grew darker and the rain intensity increased to not just raining, but REALLY raining (you know when rain really picks up, like you have to have the windshield wipers on high to see anything and even then it's kind of a challenge? That's the kind of rain we entered at this point in the journey). There was no point in running to the train station; I was already completely wet. So I grew, perhaps, even more waterlogged. Shoes filled with water. Black dress slacks quite literally couldn't have been wetter if I had showered with them on. Shirt maintained fully waterlogged status. I felt in a small way like that couple in The Notebook, minus the girl and the fact that I was definitely not on a boat (motherfucker!) (note: I have never seen this movie, but it was one of Kim's, like, two favorites so I'm rather familiar with this one scene where this couple is out in a boat talking about how much they love each other, and it starts DOWNPOURING, so the guy rows to shore and there's this incredibly rain-soaked make out session on the dock of the lake with... yeah yeah, anyway) (by the way that previous "motherfucker" was a reference to the song "I'm on a boat". If you haven't listen to it yet, it's pretty hilarious. I realize this reference is about 1-2 months old by now. Let's move on).
During the last 3-4 completely rainsoaked minutes of walking to the train station, I remember not being able to stop smiling. For whatever reason, the entire affair just made me feel incredibly bright. After the 10 minute express train ride, and the 8 minute walk back up to my apartment, I promptly went into my room, stripped naked, threw all of the definitely-still-wet clothes in a pile, and climbed into bed. I remember just lying on my back, staring at the ceiling, thinking about a number of different topics (mostly involving work and the future, but some, I'm sure, were just random reminiscings on the day). I'm not sure how long I stared at the ceiling, completely losing myself in thought, before I drifted off to sleep. I just woke up from my three hour nap (meaning my sleep schedule is probably not going to be the best, but it never was) when I wrote this blog post, and I'm now going to see about making dinner and watching a movie before real bed. I feel very happy right now. Just thought you all should know.
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3 comments:
that moment, where you can't stop smiling, is the most priceless feeling. the fact that you can't explain what you're makes it that much better. I'm happy you're happy =)
My favorite part of this post is when you went on that really huge tangent about The Notebook and then about I'm on a boat. Hahahahaha.
It's been raining really hard here in St. Louis too! I am just glad you did not get struck by lightning or carried away in a flood. =D
Loves you Dan Bear
Careful, Dan. You're starting to sound like me, and we wouldn't want that, would we? :)
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