It was pretty awesome when this article came to mind. I was driving back home from visiting family, the day after a major mid-April ice storm. I had no agenda for the day, so was just taking my time, smiling and happy, due to the good visits AND the rain; probably due to the fact that it was no longer freezing… or, that I am just a “Rainy Day” person.
Anyway, this scene brought to mind some particular moments when I was living in Ottawa. I was in a beautiful historic low rise with about eight apartments. My story goes, that I ended up agreeing to rent it “sight unseen” because I was moving from Toronto for a new job; not only an unfamiliar city, but I had also had never worked in the non-profit sector before. And, at the time, I was also about to participate in a marathon in Toronto and a half-marathon in Disney World.
So, needless to say, checking “place to live” off of my list, was just one last thing to worry about. However, things got slightly complicated; I had made arrangements to go see it but shortly after purchasing my train ticket, the landlord told me that he had “rented to another tenant”! I was so upset. More at the principle that he knew I was coming from out of town. In fact, I had told him “I will take it”, but he said I had to see it first. Not through an angry heart, but more so from a bit of a broken one, I wrote a letter explaining my disappointment in his actions.
Within a few days, I received another correspondence from this particular landlord, outlining that the tenant he had lined up, actually backed out. The circumstances didn’t matter, I excitedly wrote again “I will take it”, and since I hadn’t cancelled my ticket, would go there to sign the paperwork.
With all of the rigmarole, I completely missed the fact that the apartment was actually in the basement of the building. Regardless, it was nice and bright and had lots of character. I moved in and painted the kitchen cabinets a rust red colour and tints of golden orange in the bathroom.
After the Winter, I took a train trip back to Toronto to see some friends. It was raining that day and as I sat beside the window, I traced the downward streams of racing drops with my finger. I was smiling and happy; mainly due to the fact that I was appreciative that I could see outside. You see, even though my apartment had a lot of light, the windows were frosted.
Later on, I remember going for a walk, wearing a shawl and a hat, simply having fun still exploring my new city. I ran into some friends and they were huddled under a large umbrella (it was a rainy day). My friend laughed and announced “Julie is the opposite of the coyote with the black cloud above him, she walks with a beam of sunshine above her”.
So, bringing us back to my drive home, I was again in my happy place, and Gordon Lightfoot’s perfect song came on “Rainy day lovers don’t hide love inside they just pass it on”.