Refusing to Rust

So here’s the thing. The thing is this.
You can have life figured out as much as you want to or as little as you want to. There are times, regardless of meticulous planning and/or preparation, that it’s still going to kick your ass. There will always be curve balls, bird shit and/or ninja stars being propelled towards your head at any given moment, and I think it’s really more about accepting that inevitability then trying to avoid it altogether. And it’s all relative y’know? Being able to laugh at yourself when a bird shits on your head is one thing, being able to smile when a ninja star is embedded in your eye is another. But you can try. You can learn. You can dodge that curve ball….but there’s always going to be another one heading straight for you while your looking back at the one you just dodged, congratulating yourself on your narrow escape.
After your heart has been through a few rounds, it’s only natural to be cautious about who you open up to. You can build up your defenses but there’s only so much you can do and really, who wants to go through life wearing a suit of armor? That shit is heavy. And it rusts something fierce when it rains.

Standing in the middle of Seoul today, I was waiting for the light to change so I could cross over. It was overcast and the air seemed electric with the coming storm. Then, for just a second, the wind stopped and everything seemed to settle. I looked around at the hoards surrounding me, and felt the energy of where I was in my fingertips. The sky opened up and all at once there were sheets, literally, sheets of rain pouring from the clouds. It was surreal. There were shouts and a few screams as everyone made a mad dash for the nearest shelter. Hundreds of umbrellas appeared out of nowhere and the streets were suddenly vibrant with color. I stood still and watched the light change and made my way across the street. The rain felt like bathwater it was so warm and I was drenched in a matter of minutes. I walked back to the subway like that, no umbrella; I was already soaked through, what was the point? I felt calm as I walked, the city surrounding me in all its insanity, and I felt my mouth being pulled into a smile.

It was a good day.

Comments

Kimchee Dreamer said…
That sounds beautiful. Did you notice the crowd of Koreans trying to force their umbrellas on you so you wouldn't lose your hair, or were you too lost in the moment?
May 30, 2009 at 2:51 PM
Anonymous said…
Great stuff...
i like this post...
thanks for sharing....

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Melvin
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July 21, 2009 at 5:24 AM
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