Rainy Days and ... Inspiration?

Rainy days, Mondays, umbrellas and weathermen have been around since the early stages of human history.

Nowadays we have weather satellites orbiting our planet so we can figure out when it will rain. And when it does, we have waterproof jackets to keep us dry.

There is a long history about the way we protect ourselves from the rain. It seems almost every culture has created its own methods for staying dry. The humble umbrella, for example, is recorded in almost every early civilization.

The earliest known umbrella is found in an eighth century tomb in the ancient city of Gordion in Turkey. Egyptians developed their own umbrellas too. Three thousand years ago, Assyrians created a collapsible version.

What’s interesting is that none of these umbrellas were made of waterproof fabric. Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh was responsible for the emergence of waterproof material in the eighteenth century. They named the Macintosh raincoat after him and without his inventions we wouldn’t have the Gore-Tex fabric we all know and love today.

The capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, has the most authors in the world. Coincidentally, it has one of the highest average cloud coverage and chances of rain. You think there’s a connection?

Quite possibly!! Rain is a common source of inspiration for popular musicians, artists, writers and filmmakers. The gloomy weather may just have a hand in it!

The number of poems that include the word “rain” attests to the fact that many poets and writers have looked to rain for inspiration. I love the idea of rain. I think it’s beautiful, and comforting too!

Hundreds of retailers have marketed their beauty products with the rain motifs. The relaxing, refreshing qualities of rain fit perfectly for our household chores and pampering.

Let’s not forget that humanity has relied on rain as a life source since the very beginning. We have been watching, measuring, praying for and predicting rain in every civilization.

While storms and destructive weather have frightened us, rain has mystified and inspired us.