Jamaican proverb:

Rain a fall breeze a blow, chicken batty out a door 

As children growing up we didn’t have an explanation as to why the chicken’s nether regions were outside. However, it was a great representation of what could happen on a rainy day. 

Rainy Days

Have you ever been wet by the rain and then entered an establishment and was exposed to air conditioning with the temperature being lower than you anticipated?
You get ‘cowwwl’ or in other words, you freeze your ass or ‘batty’ off.

A few days ago, Many of us were like chickens – unable to walk without getting our shoes and feet wet. This was mainly because we are in the busiest portion of the Atlantic Hurricane season with 2020 being a more active season in recorded history.

The probability of being splashed on the road as a pedestrian was likely to happen 9:10 times and let’s not forget those sunny weekends that disappear and leave you with loads of clothes unable to be laundered.

For those who drive, taking a chance on flooded streets is always a gamble as poor ‘Betsy’ wasn’t sure if she could manoeuvre the streets for you.

It’s been rough.

And then come those ‘always on top of their game and doing the right thing’ kind of people who tell you, “if this was foreign, you’d have to get up the same and find your way to work or school and get your clothes laundered. We living the good life down here”.

Okay, we get it. You, the ever so righteous can stop rubbing your ever prepared actions in our faces.

With the past few rainy weeks, we can’t help but ask many questions like, “why did this have to happen”?

We also make statements like: “I’ve been set back and now there’s more work to be done”.

The expenses are also taken into consideration – your house may leak or you may develop health problems associated with the cold, flu, sinus or the dreaded COVID-19

Now is not the time to be sick!

Life can be unrelenting.

It doesn’t care if you’re sick or don’t have clothes to wear to work or even if you get splashed on the road. This life we live believes that we must show up and do what is required just the same.

How can we do this if mentally, we’re not even enthused to leave our beds while it rains?

As an observer of life, I’ve been blessed to experience some new perspectives on how to brave my rainy days and push forward and still kick some ass. 

Lessons in the Hurricane Season for Chickens

Here are three things that I will share with you 

1. Stay Positive 

Though you may feel like the chicken on a rainy day, it doesn’t mean that you will always be outside. If you’ve noticed that you’re in a dampened situation, don your pants, water boots and sneakers for added protection on the roads. 

Invest in an umbrella and raincoat and watch the weather to know how you can prepare for wet and damp days.

If you get wet on the way to work, school, a business transaction or even home, walk with wipes or use the dryer in the bathroom to get you and your stuff dry. You can also be like my grandmother – get access to a cork of rum or rubbing alcohol and pour it on your head to ‘protect yuh mole’. Which is a traditional practice of pouring the liquid on your scalp to add to the cold or flu-fighting remedies.

2.  Be open to change

If you are a procrastinator like me, changing a newly improved routine can be annoying. However, in reinforcing your awesomeness, you must be ready to adapt with whatever negativity comes with change.

If you wash on weekends, try washing early in the morning or even the night before. Invest in a rope or cable cord and set up an area that allows for an inside line. If you don’t have the space for that, secure an area that could serve this purpose. Know the areas in your home where the breeze travels freely so that your clothes can dry. Place lighter clothes outside for the breeze to dry them faster and rotate your clothes to get them to dry. Wash what is needed and wear what is needed. If you can afford it, invest in a laundry dryer. COVID-19 and general hygiene require that we do consistent cleansing which includes washing, so be mindful of what you need versus what you want.

3. Present your best self 

This version of yourself could only be 10% on a given day if that’s all can do – that’s okay.

Give the best of that 10%. However, work towards improving on it to get to 100%. Moments like these can make us dreary, miserable and deter us from pursuing our goals. However, we learn that that’s how it is and not to dwell on the things that deter or frustrate us. 

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These three tips are easier said than practised as there are external factors that continue to go against the positive energy that we try to emit.

Don’t be discouraged as setbacks are challenges to see if you are as strong as you say you are.

The trick is to pay attention and act accordingly. Be tactical in your everyday routines. If you stumble, laugh it off and get back up.  

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Essentially: even if you get wet by the rain, don’t be caught with your ass hanging out for you get cold and catch a cold.

Signed,
A Country Girl in Kingston

About the Contributor:

Jermaine Peart

Jermaine Peart, otherwise known as a Country Girl in Kingston is a Digital Marketer and the initiator of the Instagram live series called Big Bold Conversations. She is an advocate for good mental health practices and a lover of nature. Her platform is called ItalReasons.

Jermaine pulls on her experiences as someone who was born and raised in the parish of Trelawny in Jamaica who moved into Kingston for greater opportunities.

Follow her on Instagram and Facebook @italreasons and follow her blog site italreasons.wordpress.com