Keep Your Head Warm and Your Feet Dry

Autumn has arrived, and with it, a light, gentle, steady rain this morning. Cooler temperatures and damper days are upon us. I've started wearing my jacket, and I'm reminded of some very basic instructions given me by my mother: "Always keep your head warm and your feet dry." Without a doubt, taking heed to those words is one of the surest ways to ward off the coughs and colds that all too frequently tend to plague fall days and nights.

I, however, was doing neither earlier today. There I was walking across campus in the rain without an umbrella -- my hair collecting the raindrops and my shoes beginning to soak in the moisture. When I made it to my office, Mr. Mok (who usually arrives quite early) recognized my dilemma and readily offered me the use of his umbrella for the day. I assured him that I would head directly for the campus store on my way to lunch and purchased one of my own.

And, I did. I purchased the largest and strongest umbrella that was available. Mr. Mok recommended one like his that holds-up well in high winds, which he advises me are quite common here in the foothills above the seashore. So, I'm now equipped to do a somewhat better job at keeping my head warm and my feet dry.

Its afternoon and the rain has passed, though the skies are still overcast -- a bit of a gloomy day. Looks like I'll need to keep that jacket and umbrella handy, and in fact, with the increased likelihood of rain that appears to have now set in for these fall days, I guess I'll even pull out my old wool cap from Dublin. You might not naturally think it, but Ireland and Korea do share a few things in common.