This was written in spring of 2011:
"It's a beautiful day today!" This is such a common phrase, but what does it really mean? I was struck today by the fact that the simple phrase "it's a beautiful day" means different things to different people.
This morning, I walked out of my house at 7:30 in the morning to a fog stricken misty air with light just beginning to arise into the overcast sky. My friend from Scotland said, "It's a beautiful day" as he picked me up to drop me off at the bus station so that I could catch my bus to Chicago. I looked out at the grey sky and said "yeah, it's a great day" with a hint of sarcasim in my voice. I was just thinking that it's going to be "great fun" walking around Chicago with my two bags in this boggy weather. I was imagining arriving at the hotel with my clothes damped by the thick air. Great day! At the same time, I knew that he really liked days like today. It reminded him of home and in a country that is far away from Scottland, over cast, rainy days can be a welcomed familiarity. My inklings were confirmed as he said, "I really do like days like today." As we continued driving towards the center of Detroit, we talked about how erie the city looked with the mist hanging low over the buildings. There was this huge building right before us that was obviously abandoned. Not a single light appeared in a window while the other skyscapers around it were slowly coming to life with a flick of the switch.
Traveling westward on the Megabus, I saw a flick of the switch as the sun rose, clouds dispersed, and blue appeared high above in the sky. Getting out at our rest stop, I thought "It's a beautiful day." Then it hit me, we say these point blank statements, but they mean different things to different people. I don't think Andy would say that it wasn't a beautiful day because the sun was out and the sky was blue, but that doesn't mean that boggy days aren't beautiful too. Or maybe he actually doesn't like sunny days. I don't know. But a beautiful day isn't about the sun, or clouds, or even the weather. A beautiful day is about how we preceive it and what we make of it. Rain or shine, I hope to see many more beautiful days.
