Rainy Days

As I walked out of my apartment this morning, I was greeted with pouring rain. Thankfully I was armed with my umbrella but the torrential downpour and rivers forming in the street indicated that it wasn't going to be sufficient. Many thoughts went through my head. My first instinct was to turn around, go back upstairs, crawl into bed and wait for the rain to subside. I even put down my bags and contemplated how I could achieve that fanciful idea. I then snapped out of it and realized I am no longer in Africa. I would have to suck it up and face the rain. My boss wouldn't really understand why I was late to work only due to rain. All of a sudden a flash back of my work in Congo came flooding back in.

Due to the poor infrastructure and transportation system in Congo, people don’t go to work during the rain or do anything for that matter. Schools aren't in session. The market is empty. Life stops. It is just an understanding that rain = no movement. At the time, it was quite frustrating. Those of us who grew up in cultures and countries where you go to work regardless of the weather, this African concept was hard to grasp. You put on your shoes, grab your umbrella and face the rain. It is as simple as that. I must admit that I wasn't very gracious to my African colleagues when it rained. My staff would show up several hours late and it felt as though people used the rain as an excuse to get out of work.

One of my most embarrassing and regretful moments in Congo took place as a result of the rain. Where I was working, my staff was notorious for being late even on a good, sunny day. I was under a significant amount of pressure with a lot of work to do. The two ladies reporting directly under me were late one rainy morning. Out of complete frustration, I lashed out. I questioned them why they weren't on time. I challenged the fact that it wasn't raining that hard. I completely lost my cool.

One lady was pregnant and told me that she was experiencing morning sickness all the way to the office. I didn't even listen to her. Back then, I blamed it on my mediocre French skills but now I think that I was probably wrapped up in my tirade I didn't bother listening. The other lady was late for some other reason that I can’t remember. Her performance was low, she had a major attitude problem and I took this silly incident as my opportunity to unleash my frustration. I upset her so greatly that she came to me a few hours later and asked for the rest of the day off. The following day, she told me that she wanted to resign. In the end she didn't resign but I realized just how far I had gone with my reaction.

It is really interesting how life sometimes comes back full circle. This morning I grudgingly put on my shoes, grabbed my umbrella and sucked it up. I stepped out of my apartment door into a massive puddle. I resented the fact that I had to get the train instead of owning a car that would keep me dry. No one took pity on me as a pedestrian – they flew through the puddles splashing me and cut me off at the cross walk. All the while one word ran through my head: “touché.”

I finally arrived at the office, wet. It took several hours for my jeans and shoes to dry out. And while it was doing so, I frequently went back and forth to this reflection. Unfortunately I can’t go back and change that interaction where I completely lost it but now, two years later, I am all in favor of the idea that we shouldn't come to work if it is raining.