Winter Takes Care Of Us

The thermometer right above my office desk just dipped below the 0 mark, and I smiled warmly.  It is an indoor, outdoor electronic thermometer with an automatic clock that sets itself using satellite technology and a sensor just outside the front door.  Just beyond that sensor, which is attached to one of the posts on our tiny porch, is a snow drift that probably would reach up to my upper thigh if I had the heart to ruin it by stepping into it.

Winter is by far my favorite time of the year.  While Summer is nice when it comes to swimming pools and cookouts, I would give all of that up for this type of weather, which is cold and clean.

As a child, the summer always was a time of great anxiety.  To me, it seemed that every insect that was near me was trying to buzz and crawl into my ear.  My arms and legs were always covered in mosquito bites.  While I was staying in South Carolina with my family on a summer that reached 116 degrees, I fell victim to a tick that had made a home in my navel.  My hysteria at this was quite remarkable, from what I remember, especially since the remedy for that sort of thing involved a match, a flame, and remaining very very still.  To this day, if I get an itch anywhere *near* my navel, my panic level goes up a notch, and I'm almost afraid to investigate the source of the discomfort.

Another mark against summer is the constant noise of the insects that aren't even near me.  The droning that you hear in the trees, especially during dusk, is enough to drive a man incompletely insane.  If I find myself camping, it seems to me that sound is everywhere, and even with ear plugs or a radio going, my irrational distress at the sound seems to make it through anyway, and I get very little sleep or peace in general.

Towards the end of summer, and the days get colder and goosebumps become a sign of denial of the change in seasons, I become giddy with anticipation.  With the recent climate changes, the expectation of snowfall is almost futile, but the hope that there would be a good snowstorm is definitely resounding in my heart.

There are great things to enjoy in life.  Comfort food.  Seeing long time friends after years apart.  A belly laugh that makes you forget that you are supposed to be quiet.  These are things that I love to think about, even if I am not experiencing them at the time.  But the one thing that truly makes my heart smile, and almost *sing* is to wake up in the morning, and find that first snowfall of the year.  

Around here, that first snowfall isn't enough to make a decent snow angel, but it is enough to make me want to go out walk in the cold.  Especially if the sun is out, then I feel like I could stay out in the cold all day, just like I did as a child.  I would spend those days making snow forts and trying to get my cheap gloves to bend enough to make a decent snowball.  Although it was a lonely time, (I did these things alone, except for the snowmen that I made), I was still relatively happy because I could see my breath and I could hear the snow crunching beneath my shoes.

I'll try telling people of my love of winter, and while there are some who agree with me, many tell me that I am crazy for loving such a season.  

One woman made the sign of the cross at me, as if I told her I had an acute case of conjunctivitis as she said, "Lord, man, what I *wrong* with you?  I can't stand the cold, and I definitely can't stand to drive in that snow."

"Well, there is nothing wrong with driving in the snow if you know what you are doing." I said.

"I know how to drive quite well, but it's hard to drive when you are skidding on the ice." she said, her tone betraying her smile.

I looked her in the eye and said, "Maybe it's time to learn how to keep from skidding in the first place."

Whenever I watch the news and I get reports of all of the winter related accidents, I get a little more than irritated that it is Winter that is being blamed for the mayhem.  I can speak from experience that many people simply forget that when there is snow and ice coming from the sky, that doesn't mean that you should drive as if it were a warm summer day.  That speed limit sign doesn't apply if you are subject to black ice.  

But every year it seems that people completely forget how bad it was the year before when the snow fell, and they end up in the same situation.  Since I am driving such a large truck, it is very important that I remember how to drive on the snow, how to prevent going into a skid, and should a skid happen, how not to make the situation worse.  With as much weight that my truck throws around, I could easily take several other people out on a crowded freeway if I'm not careful.  

I fail to see how Winter is responsible for people's ineptitude.  The snow and ice are a byproduct of the season, the same which brings wonderful holidays, hot delicious soups and hearths with an open fire.  If treated with respect, just like the fire in the hearth, there doesn't need to be any accidents at all.  Just like all of the other seasons, Winter takes care of us, if only to serve as the end to a cycle that will start over again with the first thaw.

This is the time of year that I love, and every time I can see my breath, I always exaggerate it.  It's fun to watch, and it takes my mind off of the numbness creeping into my arms, legs and nose.  More time will pass, and the numbness will creep into my face and my speech patterns will reflect that.  In between sniffles anyway.

Give me winter until the end of February and I will be glad for it.  Those who wish for the warmer days, you can have them in 6 months, but right now, it's my turn.

Posted via email from Random and Absurd: The American Way