Joseph L. Kagle, Jr. Peace Essays

“It is the little things that set up a chain reaction that carries each of us along on a path that we did not plan. It is spring rain that changes each time that we experience it, if we are open to the moment. Sometimes, these small wonders, like the rain, breaks our chain reactions and makes us think about what we are doing so that an inner peace descends. It is the enjoyment of the little things that makes life a wonder to behold.”

Spring rain a lesson in understanding and patience

     Spring came Tuesday morning in a booming voice, in lighting, in torrents of rain.  The darkened room resounded with the clapping of giant sky hands.

  My darkened room filled with baroque, dramatic lighting which made even simple things stand out in Caravaggio contrast: A steady, linear mass of rain filled the patio, the decking and the unmoving con­crete walkways. As far as I am concerned, spring always comes in that first marvelous rain.

The day before, it was wind and pollen, filling the nostrils and the surface of the affluent swimming pool. It clogged the system, but isn't that what spring is supposed to do?

We look at things from our human point of view and nature just does not notice us. For some, the lack of notice is frustrating. We want to be seen. We act like naughty children.

We think we can control the spring rain with words like "I really like the sunshine. Yesterday, was a wonderful day." And what about the rainy day?

 Spring sheds its elephant tears and flashes its blinding light, with loud booms, with a wall of wa­ter. Spring just does not give a damn what we think, you know. It comes as it comes, in its own time and its own way.

This human being happens to like the coming of spring rains. They wash the world of blood and dirt and pollen. They even make concrete, plastic and automobile bodies shine.

This human being may be strange. He buys those packages of corn nuts, all six flavors, opens the bags, dumps the contents into a container and mar­vels at the unknowing, unknowable flavors that are plucked through random choice. Corn nuts and spring rain. Maybe the same thing.

Nature does its thing

  Where was the lesson learned that we control na­ture? Why can't everyone see that nature will do its thing and there isn't diddly that we can do about it? The best joke on man is that he or she is born and be­gins to live to die. It is the living that is hard. The dying part is nature's joke. Maybe accepting spring in all its uncontrollable wonder is a start.

Just maybe the spring rain is a lesson in obser­vation, patience and understanding.

Look around at those who will not recognize that spring rain lasts and exits. They say, "I will stand here and wait out the rain." In their waiting, they miss the fresh breeze that comes with the torrents of water, the clean, sweet smell of spring, the wash­ing of the world.

  A friend of mine is dying. Really. She knows it and embraces what living that she has left. All of us know it. But like our pretense of waiting out the rain, we miss the wonder of the moment because we have so many roads to travel and so many sunny days to act out and anticipate.

Enjoy the moment

    I say, "Enjoy the rain. Enjoy this moment in spring."

  Which will last? Some politician's speeches on the future of acid rain or the real rain in this special moment? As we see, hear, smell, touch and enjoy the rain, we might just hear the truth behind speeches, the magic of those individuals who have content-filled dreams and rain on us so that we must experience their torrent.

     I watched a couple waiting out the spring rain, close together under a porch, talking softly against the loudness of nature. Their rain of the moment is love, a rain in itself which comes with spring. May­be love is the heart's spring cleaning.

     Why not celebrate the thunder? Why not be like the plants who wait each winter for this moment, for this individual, special, hard-driving spring rain.

     Nature is the teacher. The class is Spring Rain 101.