Sprinklers in the Rain

Kelly Starnes
Nov 4 · 2 min read
a metaphor you didn’t know you needed

Years ago the city terrified me; I did what I could to avoid paying it any visits. Lately, it’s where I’ve been going to understand.

Just moments after the sunset, a gentle, humble rain began. It was as if the sky wasn’t able to commit to producing a real storm, like it didn’t want to tell the entirety of what it was holding inside; a feeling I know all too well.

I took a few wrong turns which I told myself were accidental, but I knew they were of complete intention. I tell myself I shouldn’t waste gas, but I also tell myself I shouldn’t go home without feeling something.

I thought about all the other cars that may have used this dead end road to turn around, and I wonder how many were also intentional, how many were also just wasting gas.

As the dim headlights shone through the now endless fog, they shone on a sight so profound, but so faint.

As the dark, endless clouds let down a steady, simple rain, the sprinklers in this yard were running at full speed. I laughed and wondered why they hadn’t checked the forecast; such a simple yet expected step. Sprinklers in the rain? What an uneconomical choice; just like my wasting gas.

Before I was able to pass judgement for these who failed to check the forecast, I remembered that I do the same thing.

I have so much rain in my forecast, but I still choose the sprinkler; so unnecessary, so artificial. I fail to turn the sprinkler off and put it away; I fail to see the blessings, the most beautiful and natural of all. I focus on my sprinklers, making sure they’re turned on and properly adjusted at full speed, and I fail to stay in tune with my forecast.

It continues to rain well into the morning, and I continue to think about how simple it all is; a blessing or a curse, the rain falls where it may.

And I suppose the rain falls where it may, whether or not we check the forecast or take the wrong turns, wasting all our gas.

Sprinklers in the Rain, 6.8.18

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade