It has been a mystery to me for many years why so many people think that a hot and sunny day is a great day. What in the world is the matter with these people?
In the blazing heat without a cloud in the sky you have to squint all day, sweat buckets, withstand unbearable humidity and endure sunburn, not to mention sun stroke, unless you find some kind of shade for relief. This is a nice day? Are you kidding me?
What is the matter with people when they look at a weather forecast that says, “We’re gonna have sun all day long with temperatures of 37 C” and think that is a real good thing? It is the dumbest thing I hear every summer.
It occurs to me that if you want to start a conversation by talking about the weather, you should get it right. A blazing hot, mercilessly bright, excruciatingly humid day is not a great day. Please don’t declare that to me in the form of a question.
A rainy day is a great day. A cloudy overcast summer day is fantastic. A day when light rain is gently falling into the warmth of a July morning is about as perfect a day as you can get.
You know it and I know it.
Give me a summer day with rain and I’ll show you a great day. Give me any kind of rain, even pouring rain. We all know how to deal with pouring rain. Have you ever sat in a coffee shop when it’s raining outside? Do you have a kitchen window you can sit by with a cup of tea during a good summer thunderstorm? Have you ever fallen asleep with the rain pelting on the roof? It is pure magic.
Wonderful magic days and nights like that are rare. Why don’t we treasure them in our memories? Why don’t we appreciate rainy days when they are upon us? Why don’t we make plans for an overcast day? Why would you ever take a day off when it is so hot outside you could fry an egg on the sidewalk and have to squint your eyes to see it? If there is rain in the forecast, take that day off and take a walk or stop in a favourite restaurant or write a letter on the porch. How wonderful it is when it is raining. What a joy it is to look over the horizon without having to shield your eyes or put on a pair of sunglasses and spread all that sun block goop on your arms and forehead.
I have heard that rain brings negative ions to the air. I am not scientist but I heard that negative ions are good for you. Have you ever felt an extra spring in your step when you have walked about after a good rain storm has just passed through? Have you felt just little more energetic? It is likely from the negative ions brought by the rain.
Rain is essential to life. If you are around my age or when you reach my age you’ll have seen lots of different summers and realize that when we are blessed with a summer that has many days of rain, the grass on the lawn is lush with a vibrant green, the flowers are bursting with colour and if you are lucky enough to be in the country or take country drives you know the crops are higher, fuller and full of flavour for dinner tables across the land.
Summers with long sunny days lend themselves to drought, unbearably hot uncomfortable nights mitigated by grinding air conditioners that churn up energy that becomes more precious each year. Lawns are brown, animals are dopey and the ground is hard and dry. Dust is flying everywhere. It’s a sad state of affairs. Looking forward to hot sunny days? What’s the matter with you?
People seem more pleasant during overcast days. I wonder if anyone has done a study of the economics of a rainy day. I think people would be more receptive to making a purchase or willing to sell on a nice rainy day than they would on an overbearing hot sunny one.
I realize there is little choice in the real estate business as to what day you can schedule a property showing but if there was, I would suggest a check on the weather forecast. Pick a rainy day. Even if you don’t make the sale it’ll still be a great day.
Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email [email protected].
