Time

Facade of building in Swan St., Richmond

I'm rarely at home in the afternoons, but it was raining all day today and I'd been to the Richmond Library and taken a photograph of a building in Swan Street constructed in 1885 and after doing some shopping late morning I came home because the cold wind was getting to me. I've been experimenting with watercolor painting and it's more difficult than I imagined and whilst I was painting I managed to catch Andre Rieu's Live in Amsterdam on SBS TV. I'm so glad I did because two songs were performed by the Australian soprano Mirusia. Her rendition of Time to Say Goodbye was exquisite. But what grabbed me the most was the audience participation in singing along to some of the orchestral music at the end of the concert. I'd been talking to my son yeterday about how singing has always given me joy and you could certainly see joy on the faces of the vast audience who unashamedly sang along with those who sat beside them. Perhaps we could all benefit from singing more and by singing with people of other nations and abilities. As I write this it's still raining, indeed it's been raining since I arose at 6.30am this morning. I love rain when I'm inside and feel warm and conforted. My television is off and I can hear the slow drone of the traffic outside and the soft rain drops, which has been a constant for most of my afternoon at home. If I listen hard enough I can hear the regular tick of the little pink plastic clock on the top of my fridge. Time appears altered during rain as if it consciously and purposefully meters out each precious second so that we can appreciate and be mindfull of each of them. Time is a luxury.