Another Day in the Same Life

 I was caught in the rain three times today. For the most part, we do not have the persistent, day-long sort of rain experienced in my old Oregon home, where one never need wonder whether he is going to get wet if he goes outside. He is. But no, here the day will be cloudy and warm, cleverly masquerading as safe for a quick trip to town or to a friend's house. You venture out, and halfway through your trip, though it be but a ten-minute trip, the rain suddenly pours down, and there you are in shirt sleeves on your motorbike. You pull over to the side of the road as quickly as can be managed, as do all the other motorbike drivers (which makes quickness rather difficult to manage), you jump off your bike, you open the seat, you pull out your long raincoat, taking are not to pull out everything else along with it, and already soaked, you throw the thing over your head just as if it still had some kind of purpose. 

So yeah, three times today: once on the way to morning coffee in Sanur, once on the way home from coffee, and once on the way home from Renon this evening. And the thing is, this rain always manages to start when you are nearly to your destination. Very clever. You say to yourself, I can make it! Just a little farther and I'll be home safe. But no. No, you can't. Live and learn. 

I will say that arriving home from Renon, I entered the house to find two cannisters of special Indonesian cookies on my counter, a late Xmas present from Louis, and so that warmed my wet heart. Didn't try my clothing, but one cannot ask for everything. 

And so Christmas is over, as far as I'm concerned. Actually, it never really happened, as I've mentioned in previous posts. And New Years is on the horizon, but I don't care. Bah, humbug. Never have liked the day. 

One year passes, another begins, but eternity has really no perception of the thing. It's meaningless. It's just another year. I will offer only a brief quote from Charles Dickens:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. 

--A Tale of Two Cities

Bye, 2022.