It's raining today. Fortunately, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast weather like today's is the exception rather than the rule, but I still hate it! I like to think I have a rational mind and of course, rain is essential for all living organisms. Without it, I wouldn't be here to complain about it. I suppose after many years of living in the UK, my weather tastes have been influenced by an unpredictable climate where long spells of sunshine were definitely an exception. The 1976 UK heat wave is still a topic for discussion, 37 years later! I guess this year's hotter than usual summer in the UK will likewise be remembered for many years to come.
In hotter countries, rain in moderation is welcomed and some use the term 'liquid sunshine' - not to be confused, of course, with a brand of tanning lotion! I think liquid sunshine is an excellent term. Think about it. Something that brings the happiness of sunshine in a liquid form. Rain brings fresh water to the earth, provides the energy source for hydroelectric power, water for crop irrigation as well as, of course, providing suitable conditions for the ecosystem - wonderful! So I guess my hatred of rain is very selfish. I am viewing it from the perspective of what it is preventing me from doing. I have enjoyed a few weeks of physical activity, including chopping down and pruning trees, mowing, strimming, etc and to be stopped from continuing my outdoor pursuits comes as a shock to the system. Even though, if the forecast is correct, we could be back to 'normal' tomorrow! If I had grown up in the part of the world where I now live, I might not have the same obsession with the weather. And a danger of obsession is that it can lead to superstition, even for apparently rational-thinking individuals.
Superstition about the weather is hardly surprising, given some of the horrendous events that we have witnessed in recent times. Superstition is, after all, rooted in fear and provides a means of linking unwanted climatic conditions with controllable human behaviour. It's only a few centuries ago that superstion over the climate led to witch hunts and executions for witchcraft. Now, as I have stated in previous blog posts, I am no longer skeptical on the issue of global warming. I do believe there is a causal link between the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and climate change. I do not believe, however, that global warming should become the scapegoat for all weather extremes. Apparently, a check of weather records for the 1930s or the 1950s, when the CO2 level was much higher than it is today, shows that extreme weather events are nothing new.
What I am witnessing today is steady heavy rainfall but hardly a weather extreme. It's doing lots of good things to the agricultural environment around me and I should be thankful for it. But I can assure you, if the sun shines tomorrow, I will be out enjoying the real thing and as for liquid sunshine, you can stick it up your arse!
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