A Rainy Predicament

Be careful what you wish for.

This morning while driving to Salt Lake I saw the greyish clouds and wished out loud that it would rain.

I was meeting with a client to discuss details of an event I am playing at in a few weeks at a small college campus. I parked in a residential area and then walked to the building where I was meeting them. After we finished, the client turned to me and said, "You can find your way back, right?"

Of course I could. How could anyone get lost on a small college campus?

It had been sprinkling a little as I walked to the building, but when I stepped out and began walking the rain quickly became a downpour.

A downpour.

I started walking a little faster and went to the place I had parked. Except it wasn't there. I had gone down the wrong residential road, because I certainly wasn't parked on this one. I started running, hoping to find the street I parked on if I went a little further.

At this point the rain came down in sheets, and just when I thought it would lighten up pieces of hail struck my arms with icy stings.

So here I was--no coat, no jacket, no umbrella--trying to find out where I parked. In the drenching rain. With a short-sleeved, airy shirt on. My hair was dripping, soaking, stringy and wet. I can imagine someone looking out of their window seeing me walk up and down the same street thinking, "What in the world is that doing out there?!" I looked like Anne of Green Gables when she pretended to be Lady Elaine from the Lady of Shalott and almost drowned. I was completely drenched.

At this point I was hoping that Gilbert Blythe would come out of one of the houses and offer me an umbrella.

I walked hurriedly up and down another street, still to no avail. How could I have done this? It isn't hard, I told myself. You can find it. As the street curved into a different direction I realized I was seriously lost and confused. Somehow the combination of one wrong turn with the pouring rain, the darkened sky, and the winding road had left me in this predicament.

How do I get myself into these things?!

On the third street I went up and down, I finally realized that I needed to go much further north. So in the freezing, icy sheets of rain I walked until I had found the street (I didn't even know its name...and I still don't. It should be called Evasive Avenue or Disappearing Drive.) and walked up to my car. I put the key in the door, but my hands were so cold and numb I couldn't turn it. I finally was able to get in the car and turn on the heat where I promptly turned into a puddle in the front seat.

I have to agree with Anne when she said, "...have you ever noticed one encouraging thing about me? I never make the same mistake twice...There must be a limit to the mistakes a person can make, and when I get to the end of them, then I'll be through with them. That's a very comforting thought." I will never get lost in that same place again--I've memorized all the roads from walking up and down them.

I wished for the rain, too.

Sigh...I had that one coming.

I still love rainy days though.

And just for the record, I still believe in Gilberts with umbrellas.

Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes! And hopefully no more rainy adventures either...