Thursday, April 12, 2012

Day 103: Clouds Got In My Way

As I was walking this morning I noticed some interesting looking clouds that are remnants from yesterday's storm and maybe precursors of tomorrow's.


As I looked up at the clouds, I immediately heard a song in my head (of course I did, I can't think of many waking moments when I don't hear some lyrics to some song in my head). What I heard was the beautiful voice of Joni Mitchell singing "Both Sides Now."
"Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way"


I love studying clouds, I love to see what they form, and as far back as I can remember I have always loved it. And, living back where I spent my earliest years, in almost exactly the same spot, looking up at them, reminds me of when I was young and doing the same thing.

I remember looking at the clouds from the house, the park and the school, just as I did today. I always dreamt I could fly among them, like the birds did. And of course, I always wanted to float in them. But then, I think that's what most 7 and 8 year olds want to do.

Clouds never seemed dark to me, or ominous, they just seemed full of life and full of possibility. But, as I have gotten older, I now understand these lyrics in a way I didn't when I was a child:

"But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all"

But, that doesn't mean I now find clouds threatening, I have just come to realize that we create our own storms, raining down on our own clear skies with our own, dark clouds.



"I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all"

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