Nonpareil (aka I’m Smiling In The Rain)

[Adjective / Noun; ~ Pronunciation: /non-puh-rel/]

• Definition: Something, anything, that has no equal, that is unique in its kind. You. Me. Everything we do, like singing in the rain. Or if you’re like me (a terrible singer): smiling in the rain. Because nothing compares to taking a walk in the rain, making it a nonpareil experience.

“The poet enjoys the incomparable privilege of being able to be himself and others, as he wishes” – Charles Boudelaire

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The weather lately has been rather dreadful in the Netherlands, and yesterday was no exception: rain all day long. Having spent almost the entire day indoors updating my résumé and ploughing through a mountain of emails and new blog posts to read, I figured it was time to set foot outside. My head was aching and I felt contained, so I just had to get out of the house, even for a few minutes and even if it was raining.

So I put on my amazing nuclear-winter-ready winter coat and instantly felt like a human tent (gotta love the coat!). It’s heat reflecting, has a huge hoodie trimmed with fake fur, has countless pockets and is water-proof, water-resistant, water-free, water-intolerant and probably anything else you can think of and can put “water” in front of. You name it, my coat has it.

Too bad I forgot my boots weren’t water-all, but oh well.

I decided I’d just go around the block, as the rain was really pouring down, and figured that’d be crazy enough. Besides, I had made myself a nice cup of coffee which I imagined would be just the right temperature to drink when I got home.

Off I went, all tent-like, feeling so comfy and snugly in my coat and so water-resistant and water-everything, I kept going. I forgot my feet were wet and really enjoyed the sound of the rain hitting my covered up head. A smile had spread over my face and I couldn’t get it off, no matter how hard I tried or how strange the looks were people threw me. Walking through the rain is truly a nonpareil experience, as I felt so at peace with myself, so cuddled up in my coat, so safe and sheltered. The rain simply gave that extra bit of sass to my walk.

During my walk I saw people running to and from their cars, covering their heads and shrieking as if they were melting. The world around me seemed in distress over the wet weather, whereas I was enjoying myself to the fullest! The air was clear and fresh, and there weren’t many people about which I thought was just fine.

My walk lasted a bit longer than I had intended, but I didn’t mind. My boots were wet and covered in sand, but I didn’t mind. The exterior of my super mega awesome winter coat was in dire need of some dry surroundings, but I didn’t mind. My pants were soaked at the front of my legs, but I didn’t mind.

Because if I had been blessed with a good singing voice I would have been standing in my back yard, singing in the rain.

Life is not always about doing what others do. Life is not always about complaining about bad weather and hiding from it. Life is about accepting what comes onto your path and swinging bad situations around, turning them into an enjoyable experience.

Sure, having rain for days doesn’t do much for your mood. But neither does sitting inside all day long. The rain won’t stop until it stops, there’s no button to press or remote control to grab hold of. You simply have to sit it out.

Don’t let negative external factors throw you off your personal high. Keep going, keep your head up, and learn to enjoy yourself through every situation. Because that’s what makes you truly nonpareil; seeing the good in every apparent bad.

Oh, and my coffee was just perfect when I got back 🙂