there was kissing but there wasn't any singing in the rain

We all know rain is a vital, life-giving force, raising the heads of those parched flowers, giving the grass a brilliance to its green, nourishing our fruits and veggies.  So what better time to explore how WSP revives its frequenters than during the rain we keep getting?  Are New Yorkers like plants?  Do they too find revitalization from the rain?

I certainly don't feel revived when I'm trudging through wet NYC streets in my fashion-conscious (weather-oblivious) sandals, getting slimy brown feet from the street sludge that you don't actually notice until its wet and sticking to your toes, and making mental notes of more reasons not to like tourists (they don't know how to lift their umbrellas to the appropriate height so as not to run into the rest of us).

But maybe that's the NYC streets . . . maybe that's Times Square.

Maybe it'd be different in WSP?  Maybe rain in WSP would be more . . . refreshing? 

When I got to WSP the other day, there were still people mingling in the rain.  Although the benches were empty and most people were passing quickly through, some were settling in for the afternoon.  Still failing to get my own sludgy toes comfortable, I took note of what kinds of people actually stick around a rainy WSP.

First, there's the elementary school kids.  Excited to be free from the classrooms and already busy splashing through the fountain, the rain didn't phase them a bit.  Not to say that I blame them, one of the younger ones has probably already peed in that fountain – what's a little rain to wash it off?

And their parents?  I'm sure they were just glad to have them wrecking the fountain rather than the apartment.

Next, there were the lovers. 

These were the couples who obviously love old black and white movies.  And this particular couple was definitely creating their own Hollywood moment.

Rain.  Fountain.  Kissing.

All they need is a few cheesy lines and a broken umbrella tossed aside.  Although including a cat in their embrace could be nice.

Love in the park.  You have to admit it's romantic even without piano accompaniment.

The third group was the chess players.  

No amount of rain was going to cause an adjournment in this exhilarating game – the anticipation of getting to say "check," much less "checkmate," was enough for these guys to ignore their rain-soaked sweatshirts.  Oh the excitement.

I don't have a picture of these chess players because I'm admittedly an amateur.  After hearing the guy in the black hoodie scream at a tourist "I DON'T KNOW YOU!" I decided to walk the other way.  For your full feature on the chess players (who I'm sure are usually more approachable than this), you'll have to keep checking back and wait for my courage to grow . . . or at least for a day when my sandals aren't sliding off my rain-sludged feet – I'll need all my traction to run away if I break their concentration.

And finally of course, there was a fourth kind of person hanging around WSP as it rained . . .

Me.  The people-watching writer.

Although I have to say, I like WSP much more when it's minus the rain.


Have you seen any other rainy WSP dwellers?  Know of some weather-conscious sandals I should invest in?  I'm open to input!