SUMMER RAIN

Don't you love it?

The heat of the sun quenched by the sudden gust of rain. Or sunrays becoming misty through raindrops, then rainbows!

Err, maybe not. Getting caught between rain and sun almost always ends up with us getting sick. No go. No, thank you.

Summertime! Hot, and wild. The rising temperature almost always makes people crazy. We adjust. Eventually, we find comfort in the costly cool breeze of an airconditioner or, enjoy sweet delight while feasting on halo-halo or icecream. Then it rains. The humid air is suddenly unwelcomed. The almost barren feet becomes covered by patches of moist dust and there is that sticky, perspir-y sensation that gives you one of the most undesirable, persistently irritating feeling. Speak about sudden changes which catch you unaware.

Think about it: you have labored through extended time gaining confidence that you have mastered what you are doing only to find out that at the last lap, when your energy is almost depleted, when you expected the ride to be smooth and easy, you would be faced with the steep-est uphill slope. Just when someone tells you to hurry because you are almost there, you find the last bend to be the most challenging turn of all. Just when the day of the most-awaited event drew near, you realize all the possibilities threatening to ruin the perfect ending you have been working so hard to get to. You may say, "aww, man! What a blitz!"

Then  the idea of defeat dawns on you...enough! Not the end yet, pal! You still stand a chance.

But just when you thought dry land was your last resort, rain came pouring down. And my, my, my - it did as if it has not done for the last century! Just when you finally let go and give up (on the plus side), suddenly more challenges take form. Just when you are out of breathe, the next gulp of life-sustaining air becomes for sale!

What a world! I surmise that despite the bright, scorching heat of the sun, you might be thinking of a cold, gloomy ending. Maybe right now, you would be "giving-it-all" to know what happened next. SECRET SURPRISE! That is what endings or concluding statements are for. ;-)

Addage says that the journey itself matters more than the destination, considering what you have gained, what you have learned, of course.

See, the journey is a map of exciting, emabarrassing, excruciating nonetheless educational elements and everything else in between.Those who do not die along the way become stronger. Those who suffer brain-ache become wiser. Those who, in one way or another, experience being crippled, stuck or useless become more adept and indispensable. The journey feeds on little journeys cycling through dream-believe-survives, ready-set-gos, ask-believe-receives and of let-gos and let-Gods. Each little part corresponds to steps taken one at a time, mini-goals accomplished to contribute to the desired end goal.

Charting traits would exhibit extremes such as being cowardly and courageous, meek and mad, darling and dangerous (nothing criminal, just maybe out of desperation when plans go awry).

Dangers and doubts are key players. Directions, detours and distractions do not only provide an extra heap of convoluted and confusing course of actions - they become venues for establishing faith in whatever or whoever keeps you one and whole and sane to continue moving forward.

Ahh, there you go! What really matters most is that you continue on. You never give up - even if it rains cats and dogs on a pleasant summer day and you are enjoying your gold-label ice cream while waiting for the sun to set. Even if you know that the sight will not be as glorious or as awesome as imagined, something good still comes out of it. Well, you don't know, maybe something peculiarly beautiful might come out of it.

Sunset at the Boulevard
(c) Google Images

As always, journeys come to an end - the end result of which will dictate the next fragment of herstory.

Regret for mis-steps, but do not dwell so much on them, only as much as learning from mistakes. As my team lead always reminds us - past is past, moving forward...

Resolve to better luck next time, err, to do better and be better next time.

Review courses taken, re-calibrate strategies, replenish resources spent - invest anew on time, talents, tools, and re-create scenarios and loose ends to seal the deal and be empty enough for the refill.

Rest for thou hast made significant contribution to your timeline. Peace be with others as well, for definitely, you have posted on their timelines, too.

Most of all, rejoice and be grateful that you came out of the big J alive. Nothing beats being given another chance. Life is really a never-ending cycle of starts and ends. So, level up! Always be ready like Barney Stinson. ;-)

Here's to the next step, to becoming better: --->Challenge Accepted!