Still Like the Canadian Winter, eh?
Snow on the ground, snow on the stairs, snow on the roofs, snow on the water, snow for as far as the eye can see. For most people, this is a foreign sight, which is precisely what makes it such an attractive one. Yet, if you are familiar with the description I just gave, you probably know that it only represents half of the cold reality. There is in fact also snow in your shoes, snow in your jacket, melting as it slides down your previously warm back, snow at your house entrance, snow in your driveway (probably the worst), snow by the mall, snow in the parking lots and snow in your shoes. Did I mention that already?
Snow itself may not be so bad though. Kids can play with it, it’s perhaps useful for starting a ski resort and it softens the sounds of the undesired next door neighbor, that always leaves his window open when the Leafs play and that seems to be shouting right at you whenever they lose. The problem is that snow often comes to the Winter party with a few other friends. Snow is in fact very shy, so it brings Ice, Cold, Wind and Darkness to light up the mood. Ice is never welcomed since it makes people slip, it disables any sort of braking power that wheeled vehicles have and can break when pedestrians accidentally step on it, turning into a wet and cold mess. Cold on the other side silently slides in from any extremity you haven’t mathematically thought of covering up and has a nice chat with your body’s Warmth. This causes your body to not have warmth anymore, so that’s definitely not good. The second friend then acts as an enemy to many outdoor activities as people are scared to go out of their home, fearing to lose their precious Warmth.
Wind is a special friend, because it also comes to the Summer party and it can be an excellent guest there. When Snow invites it though, it becomes an extremely unpleasant guest to have. It pushes everyone around, coming from all sides, when it’s most unexpected. You may spill your drinks in front of a very cute guy and force him to go back home as Cold will make the liquid freeze on him. Wind will smack you in the face and bite your ears but unless you always wear a balaclava, there will be no escaping it. You can yell at it, try to punch it or pinch it, you will even end up being nice, saying sorry and asking for a little more gentleness; but you will never get it. Lastly there’s Darkness, the most innocuous, many would say. This friend is very powerful because it affects the mind rather than the body. It takes time to come in, and it seems like it will never leave. People start to miss their better friend, Brightness, which at the Summer party is so much fun to have, and become mellow and sad.
The Winter is not an easy season to be living in, and it may very well be the most despicable seasons of all, especially if it happens far from the equator, where its effects are much more to be felt. This survey shows how only 13% of teenagers find it their favorite season, and a staggering 4% of the elderly share the same opinion. Seasonal depression is also a “thing” so there must be a meaning for these numbers.
After Winter has finally left, and a warm Spring is rushing in with lots of Brightness in its backpack, I have realized how much I have missed the warmth and the sunlight. Spending so much time indoors, or even going outside, but having to be buckled up from head to toe, and coming back at 4pm because it gets dark afterward… really becomes hard to live through. The happiness I started to feel just by the sensation of warmth on my skin after over half a year was almost priceless, and I just cannot imagine wanting to go back to a lack of it.
Winter may even be pleasant, I definitely don’t deny that. It’s a nice break from the heat of the summer and we can make use of the shorter days to stay in at home and relax a bit more. Here in Canada I just find it so extreme. Taking over half a year and bringing freezing cold temperatures to the party, it gets bothering pretty fast. In addition, we are beings that have evolved in a warm, tropical climate. The cold is a huge barrier for us!
I don’t know if any of you feel the same way, but to me, the weather can have a huge impact on my well being, motivation, outlook on life. This is a tribute to Summer, and a reminder for all of us to enjoy and appreciate these months, as they certainly don’t last all year long. A reminder to smile at the late sunsets, the shorts and shirts, the warm evening breeze. After all, we’re all at the Summer party.
Let me know what your thoughts are on Winter, whether you agree or disagree with me in the comments. I hope you enjoyed the read :)
