Why I Welcome the Rain

Pulse Perspective by Aiden Dosher

It’s understandable that the rain might make you feel bummed out. It tends to be cold, and to soak you, and the clouds in the sky make the day feel dark and gloomy. Not to mention how, here in Ellensburg, the wind makes it feel all the more frigid.

However, I’ve noticed something as I’ve lived longer in Ellensburg- I’ve grown to not mind the rain, and even to enjoy it as time goes on. Having come from the Western side of the state, where rain is a near-constant companion, I thought I’d never stop being weary of rain- the cold, the wind, all of it. 

I think my opinion on this started to change when I experienced my first Ellensburg summer- the heat was by far the hottest I’d endured in years, and that was a regular temperature in the summer. Then, when the rain came, it was exhilarating. Cool, refreshing, the smell of petrichor filling the air, It felt amazing… for all of five seconds. 

I think the key to it, over time, is in the rarity. Where I saw it as a constant nuisance when I lived on the west side, over here, it’s more like an old friend that you only see rarely. It’s the scarcity of its presence that makes it more bearable, and even enjoyable.

Now, when I see the rain, I welcome it. Rather than despising the things I don’t like about it, I tend to focus on the positives- how it nourishes the land, for instance, and how I can’t help but love the smell of petrichor.

All in all, I suppose this is significant because it shows how you can change- how your choice of where to live and what to do with your life can drastically alter how you see the world around you, changing your perspective from hating rain to appreciating its beauty.