Paul is very grateful to have a friend like Mark. Paul is doing his best to cope with the shitty hand life has dealt, while adhering to the idea that in some respects we make/pave our own path.

There's just no telling when that hailstorm will come. Paul actually remembers a literal example of this as a child, around the same time this story portrays. It was a sunny day, no indication of rain to come, and out of nowhere it started hailing. It was fine hail and felt like burning on the skin. The irony was Paul could not figure out what was happening, and so he kept running from the shelter of his front porch, back out into the hail.. Just to try to make sense of it.. Figure it out.

Paul's willingness to throw himself into the shit might not be a good thing, but that day Paul figured out what was happening, regardless of the negative impact. Maybe that is a good thing. Paul had no desire to ask anyone else what was happening, in Paul's world, he was experiencing some phenomenon that he didn't expect anyone would have the answer to.

Paul has always been a problem solver I suppose, but today Paul realizes that some problems just have no logical answer(s).

Paul is not used to people really/fully understanding and taking the time to absorb what he writes/says, so that is why it took Paul a few days to process and compose a response. Paul really feels like Mark understands and has a similar perspective in this life.

Thank you bro.