Rain Clouds
Everyone
has probably had that moment where they realized something they believed in
wasn’t really real. Whether it was when they realized the Easter Bunny or Santa
were just some underpaid guys in a suit. Or how the Tooth Fairy is just your
parents paying you to grow up and lose your baby teeth. You know, those disappointing
realizations. Frankly, the Easter Bunny, Santa and the Tooth Fairy weren’t all
that surprising. I figured they were all an adult capitalist scheme ready to
lure children in with the promise of toys and money.
But
the thing that got me most was when I realized you can’t stand on rain clouds.
I figured that normal clouds weren’t strong enough since they didn’t have rain
in them. But rain clouds held more promise. They held the potential to hold.
And
boy did I believe it. It was sometime in second grade where we did a project on
the weather. My friends and I made a beautiful poster that didn’t really contain
any information, just the words “fall, clouds, rain” and whatever other weather
related words our small 7 year old brains could concoct. But nonetheless, it
was a work of art. One of my many (all three) contributions was a cotton cloud.
Or literally just a cotton ball. Not even fluffed up or anything. Just a ball
of cotton. Glued to the center of the poster. Way to go seven year old me.
And
then I wondered, what were clouds made of? I didn’t really think about it until
my cotton cloud. So I asked my teacher and she used big words like “vapor” and “condensation”
which went in one ear and out the other. So I figured that these big words
meant something solid, something that one could stand on. No little me, they
did not. In fact, they meant weak and unable to even support the rain water in
them. This answer just confirmed my previous knowledge (from who knows where) that
clouds could hold me.
But
that didn’t stop me from asking if I could stand on one, you know, just to make
sure I was right. My teacher gave me a weird look and laughed. I’m pretty sure
she brought it up in a parent teacher meeting to discuss checking my grasp on
reality. But she smiled and told me that the clouds aren’t strong enough for
that, that they release the rain when it gets heavy, so if they can’t hold some
rain then how can they hold a small kid?
I
was shook to my seven year old core. I didn’t want it to be true. But it was.
And I was disappointed, and felt an emptiness I was going to feel again when I
realized adults can’t mind read.
I think because I've known you for longer, and me being me, I found this post to be extra hilarious! When I read the last sentence of the first paragraph, I could literally hear you saying those words with me responding in laughter. I find it adorable that you thought that you could stand on rain clouds. At the age of seven, I didn't even give clouds a second thought. They were just there... Also, the very last sentence, LOL! Are you going to write about adults not being able to read minds? I'm already excited to read that :)
ReplyDeleteI feel that. There are some things that would be so nice to believe. Just recently I found out that dogs aren't really sent to farms. But I still can believe that clouds can hold me, and I probably wont believe it until I dive through one. Every time I travel by air I look out of the windows and imagine myself walking on the clouds.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, it is human nature to believe in things. Have you ever doubted that the sky is blue? Me neither. But do we know if it really is? We can't know. That the fundamental conflict at the center of us all.
This was a really funny post! I understand where you're coming from, since I felt betrayed when I discovered that the Tooth Fairy was actually my parents sneaking a quarter under my pillow. And your seven year old self is ingenious; using a cotton ball - a single cotton ball - to represent clouds is so smart! And I hope you do write about adults not being able to mind read. That sounds like a fun story waiting to be told!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post! I relate to your belief in standing on a cloud, because as a kid, I always wanted to take a nap in the clouds. They look so soft and fluffy, but now I know that I would fall straight through them or freeze to death as a result of the high altitude. I still love looking at clouds and reminisce about my childhood when I used to imagine myself sleeping in one.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great post. All the descriptions of cloud-related events you include are hilarious to read. I remember wishing I could hang out on clouds when I was a kid too -- that one Harry Potter chapter in which they drive the Weasley's car through the sky, looking at all the clouds and sun, always made me so jealous.
ReplyDeleteHow cute! Your narrative is so adorable with hints of funny sarcasm thrown in here and there! Anyone who is familiar with your writing can without a doubt notice your voice- it's so distinctive! I love how you were able to start the post by drawing the reader in by basically asking them to become involved and reflect on their own experience(s) of disappointing realizations. This made me as a reader feel a lot more comfortable. Going off of that, the vibe of your point is very fresh and light-hearted that I had so much fun reading! I can defiantly relate to that tooth-fairy realization... Anyways, very nice job! I'm a huge fan!
ReplyDeleteP.S. - Way to leave us all on the hook with your story on how you thought adults could read minds!... I hope you share!
ReplyDelete