A couple of weeks ago I watched a woman walk out of T.J. Maxx and open her umbrella, only for it to explode in her hands. She covered her face with one arm and grasped for the shredded piece of polyester clinging to its thin metal limbs with the other, but in vain. She instead dragged the soggy, broken contraption back to her car, and still got wet. I’m asking: why do we even bother?
Umbrellas, as a product, are incredibly wasteful. They are usually built and bought with replacement in mind- no one buys an umbrella and expects to have it their whole life. They aren’t recycled, because of their complexity, so the metal and plastic components go straight to landfills. And, if we’re being honest, how practical are they?
My Dad once described DePauw’s campus as a “wind tunnel” when visiting. The gradual downward slope magnifies the wind on walking paths, so much so that pushing through it to get to class sometimes feels like walking in water. It’s windy more than it’s rainy, but wind and umbrellas don’t necessarily get along. Anyone who’s used one knows, the thin sheet of plastic that provides cover from rain acts almost like a parachute, causing even more resistance. I’m lucky that an umbrella has never completely disintegrated in my hands, but I have experienced the embarrassment of it turning inside-out, causing me to spend even more time in the rain while I hurriedly pulled the spokes back into position. Not to mention that walking through the wind with it I was either pushing a rock up a hill or hoping I wouldn’t get lifted away like a balloon.
Now, I’m a sucker for just existing outside in the rain. I love how drops of rainwater glide down my hair, collect at the tips, and fall satisfyingly to the ground. I like when the water coats my eyelashes, dribbles down my chin, and reddens my nose. Whether rainwater is good or bad for you isn’t universally agreed upon. My aunt, an organic vegetable farmer in Wisconsin, claims that it is. Other skincare enthusiasts, however, say the opposite. I’m not here to take a stand on that, and frankly, the joy of rain isn’t enough to sacrifice for my skin.
If you’re not one for ruining your outfit in the rain, I totally understand. After the initial rush of feeling the rain on my skin walking to class, I’m left dripping in my seat like a wet dog with soggy shoes. That’s why I wear a raincoat. More expensive? Yes, but, more durable. And not only are raincoats built to last, they also can double as a windbreaker- protecting you from rain and cold. I acknowledge that a raincoat does leave the face uncovered and vulnerable, but, if we’re being honest, horizontal rains cut through umbrella cover, so it was never a good option. Unless you went outside in a big plastic bubble, there’s no way to keep yourself 100% dry.
With March in progress and April on the way, we still have quite a few weeks of wind, rain, and overcast before the summer sun shows its smiling face again. I’m tired of the secondhand embarrassment watching my peers struggle with their umbrellas like wrestling with a puppy on a leash. I’ve already made the switch. Will you?