When it Rains...

There is a very specific song that plays in my head when the clouds turn dark, thunder rolls across the vast sky and the rain starts falling steadily all around me.

This song manages to seep from my brain and before I know it, it has become audible and I'm humming away as if no one is listening.

When I hear the rain hitting the earth, I have that Pavlovian response.

I take the time to enjoy the little things: the pitter-patter of the raindrops, the grey sky, the serenity and I remember that maybe the only thing I could possibly do on days like those, is go fishing. But I won't go fishing just anywhere, no. I think to myself that walking on the beach and casting into the ocean is where I should set my line adrift. Maybe I'll catch a boot. Maybe it'll be a can. Whatever it is, that's where I want to be.

Then there are those sunny Autumn days...

It's on those days, my heart begins to feel light and airy. There's the smell and sight of golden ones, red fiery ones and orange glowing leaves falling off the trees. The crisp air sends me into euphoria as my thoughts turn to Pumpkin pies, Halloween and present shopping for the Holidays that are just around the bend.

Another song might find itself being hummed happily. And I might be of the mind to go picking very purple grapes (but I end up picking apples because we don't have grape orchards around here). I might feel the need to go to the Chapel to talk to Cliff. And I definitely think maybe I can go stomp some grapes to make wine for that lush, Karen. She's just so easy to woo, you know? A little wine and maybe she'll marry me?

It's amazing how blending my video game life into my real life can be so easy: triggered by the sound of rain to the changing of the Seasons and tied together by the simple, glorious music of Rainy Days in Animal Crossing and the Fall Theme song in Harvest Moon.

And now I turn it to you, TAY and Kotaku: Do you guys have that particular song you find yourself humming from your video game experiences when you're in a situation? Any song triggered by the falling snow? A Sunny day? The sound of rain? The chirping of those blasted birds at 5 in the morning? Leave it in the comments and/or write me a story! I wanna know!

"When it Rains..." originally appeared on Talk Amongst Yourselves on May 1, 2013.