Walking around BGC when it just rained hits different. I’ve never walked in BGC after a rain. Generally, I hate walking outside when it just rained. It’s humid, it’s slippery, it could rain again, air gets filled with sweat, it stinks, etc. There are so many things I hate about the prospect so I just avoid it entirely.
But Monday afternoon I was forced to. I had to walk back to the office after an event from another site. The rain had stopped but it was still drizzling in some areas. But instead of rushing to my destination I decided to savor it. After all I couldn’t afford to rush. I could slip and die.
I didn’t want to sweat so I just walked slowly. Taking videos like I used to. Admiring the sheen on the pavement, the vibrance of the trees, the refreshing smell of the earth – petrichor it’s called. All of a sudden, BGC didn’t seem so urban to me. For a while it looked like it had a soul. Not that it didn’t have one, I’m sure its bottomless pit is filled with the souls of the untiring working class. But that day, when it just rained, it feels like nature had touched it. Like the city was being pet by mother nature, reminding the all-consuming slave driving city that it is to take a break and let its beauty show.
Oh well, I’m just here romanticizing the novelty of my experience. I know I won’t take a step out next time when it just rained.