Silver for Rain

Early this morning, I opened my back door to blackness and a swell of chill air.  I heard the sound of honest rain falling against earth made hard by lack of moisture.  I could still smell wildfire smoke in the air, but it no longer stung my nostrils as before.

Naked, I walked out into the rain, opened my hot tub, and slipped into the steaming water.  Raindrops kissed my face and shoulders as I closed my eyes and leaned back into a watery seat.

I sat there as the rain intensified.  At one point, I opened my eyes and watched a pair of headlights drain down through the scattered pines of a distant mountain.  The headlights soon dissolved into a dark fold.  I closed my eyes and lifted my face into the rain again.

The rain kissing me.

There was a time when I bought and held silver as a hedge against a crashing economy.  Well, the economy did not crash so much as did the price of silver.  Same happened to me with gold.  Out of necessity, I sold at the bottom of each market.  I always tell people expressing interest in precious metals to check with me and then do the opposite of what I think.

I thought about my silver as I sat in the rain and watched the sun hoist first light against the far clouds.  I have come to learn that, out here in the West, rain is sometimes far more precious than silver.

My silver has been gone for a very long time.  If I had any left, though, I would have given it all for this morning’s rain.  I would give it again for rain tomorrow.

--Mitchell Hegman