It strikes me each year at about this time---why do we live in the midwest and deal with the headaches of the nasty weather when there are so many places that provide warm sunshine the majority of the year? It simply must be because we were born here and it's a comfort thing. We stay close to our families and what has become predictable and comfortable--even if the weather makes us crazy most of the time!
Most people who live in the midwest say that while they don't like the bad weather, they enjoy the change of seasons and wouldn't want to miss them. WTF? If that's the case then why not just live somewhere where it's warm and sunny and simply travel to a place to witness the change of seasons? It would only amount to about two weeks total to see every change of season--probably less since we really only have two seasons anymore--summer and winter. It seems spring and fall each only last about 10 days anymore.
Staying in a place with harsh winters confuses me the most. EVERYTHING takes longer. It takes longer to get out of a nice warm bed, it takes longer to get dressed since more clothes are required, it takes longer to leave since the car must be warmed up, it takes longer to get anywhere on the often icy roads, and it takes longer to run errands since parking lots are usually a disaster with ice or slushy snow that you have to trudge through. How many times have you fought to get to your car with a cart load of groceries while struggling through slush that has frozen and turned into mini glaciers? It sucks!
The winters do provide something for people to talk about however--we talk about the storm that's coming, the storm that just missed us, the storm that hit us and the storm that happened twenty years ago! Maybe, in a way, this is all preparing us for nursing home living where in addition to talking about the weather, we'll talk about the terrible food, look forward to the next meal and wonder why the hell the nurse is late with our medication that the only reason we have to take is because the damn pharmacy wants our money!
SO...until I find a way out, I'll continue to do what I have to do to survive midwest weather and wonder what people in warmer climates have to talk about.
By the way...did you hear "they" are predicting a bad winter this year??
Remember that blizzard of 1979?.......................
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Believe it or not -- people in moderate climates actually talk about the weather. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear people in Sacramento talk about the weather. It's also a riot when they break into your TV programming to tell you about an approaching "storm," which may amount to heavy rain and 30 mph winds. What storm?? I have to say, though, it's much less of an obsession. I used to watch the Weather Channel all the time. Not anymore!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, what were we talking about?? Nice day for early November, huh??