Southern California is constantly in a perpetual drought, it would seem to the common viewer. Watering laws, sprinkler systems, and active scientific researchers promote using less water in order to save for our agriculture and communities that really need it.
It is not hard to imagine, therefore, that a lot of SoCal residents are enamored with the rain. Many people of my generation who live in southern California were born here, and have never even experienced that dream “snow day.” The closest thing that we get in terms of real weather change is the rain. We have to wear different outfits than our favorite sandals and shorts, we have to bundle up in our warmest and driest gear, especially if we need to walk to do work outside of our homes.
And trust me, we love it. We love feeling cold and dreary outside, because when we go inside, we drink hot chocolate, change into our comfiest warm clothes, and relax. Normally, we go from sweating constantly outside to come to a (hopefully) functioning air conditioning. And out of the 300+ days of the year when that is your reality, you are begging for some rain.
Until, of course, it starts raining.
Oh, what? Yeah, Californians, as a biased whole population. Does not actually enjoy the literal rain, but instead the aesthetic rain.
I have heard so many people (including myself) whine and pine about wanting rain until you have to walk out in it. Your socks- wet. You jeans- soaked. Your phone- in your pocket. Your mood- negative. People love getting ready for the rain and complaining about it when they leave the rain and the realities of it come to fruition.
But the worst part about Southern Californian rain is not any of these things: it is the driving. I swear to the highest power that I will never understand how horrible people drive when water simply falls from the sky. They drive so slow that they cause unnecessary traffic jams. They swerve more, even though it is more dangerous to do so due to the oil on the road. Also, pedestrians might as well start wearing right with red collars because drivers consider your to be bowling pins. All caution and care go out the window, and with more traffic, there is an increase of irritability of people one the roads as well. No one will let you into their lane, take a turn, or half of any vehicular activities without honking out you. Southern California simply turns into a madhouse.
Thus, I will conclude this article with a personal statement. I, Ellen Horowitz, a San Diego native, love the rain only when I am indoors comfortably or can reach such a place easily. I said it, though I am not proud, but I believe it is more accurate than just saying that “I love rain” whenever someone mentions they live in the Pacific Northwest.
So, you fellow Californians, I hope that you can also adhere to this quasi-pledge of mine and that we can move on from this matter onto other, more pertinent ones. Like how Shake Shack better stay out of my hometown if they know what’s good for them #innoutforever.
