Get Your Feet Wet

It came out of nowhere.
On my way home from school I was surprised by a rainshower. Within seconds the summer sky turned gray and the heavens opened up.
It poured and, of course, I had no umbrealla with me.
So I was soaked.

But you know what?
I didn’t mind at all.

All of a sudden, my memories took me back to a sunny afternoon when I was thirteen years old. We lived in a small village in the Ugandan rain forest at that time and I was on my way to the Rehabilitation Center. Every afternoon after school I went there to play with the kids who stayed there while recovering from surgery.

The walk was about ten minutes, but it usually took longer because you always ran into someone who wanted to talk with you or just get a glimpse of the Mzungu (white person).

One afternoon I left our house in bright sunshine. It was warm and I just wore slippers and a skirt. About halfway on the main road I felt the first rain drop on my arm. Within seconds it was pouring and I was in the middle of it without an umbrella.
I took off my slippers and started running. Under my feet I could feel the sand turn into mud, the water ran between my toes.
I was completely wet, but somehow I didn’t mind.

About ten years later I still feel the same.
Sometimes you have to be surprised in order to experience the fullness of life.
Sometimes you have to get your feet wet in order to feel alive.

Welcome to Day 2 of 31 Days of Mundane Narratives! For the month of October I will be a storyteller. Together with a few friends we will browse the forgotten photos in our galleries and tell the stories that are so often lost in busyness.
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Author: Katha von Dessien

Teacher. Believer in the Wilderness. Third Culture Kid. World Traveler. People and Food at the Table Lover. Writer. View all posts by Katha von Dessien