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Friday, September 27, 2002

Red Skies at Night

Is it the smell of the rain, or the color of the sky? Whatever it is, the weather today has transported me to someplace completely different, a different world, a different society... It makes no sense; nothing has changed in reality. But it's like Christmas, that feeling left over from childhood that I am free from school, that good food is coming, that all the neighborhood kids are otherwise occupied or at least on their best behavior; and they're all bundled up because it's cold and rainy, a little more humble than on those hot, sunny days; unsure of what to do with themselves, less likely to stray far (and thus less likely to invade my space!). The air is crisp and clean, not full of pollen, nor smog; and if the sun does shine through, it sparkles in the little beads of water everywhere shimmering in the gusts of wind. Images of being nestled by the fire, intellectual pursuits suddenly respected and practiced, a cup of hot chocolate, a board game spread on the floor, the corner of a blanket peering over sock-bundled feet. But still, the overwhelming emotion is simply that nothing happens when the weather is like this--nobody toilet-papers my house, or tries to sell me a vacuum cleaner, or shoots or arrests members of my family. I feel strangely and unjustifiably safe at some level, at these first signs of winter rolling in, like maybe its time for my clan to stop fighting with the bears and pack it in for a long, but simple, winter.

I have no idea why I have this particular association with these overcast, rainy days.. especially ones that end in deep red skies like tonight. I just do.

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