This post was inspired by a sudden cold snap we’ve gotten this week here in good old Oklahoma. Fall is officially here, and I’m pretty happy about it. The heat has overstayed its welcome. As I laid (lied… I can never get those two used properly) on my couch last night, wrapped in a blanket and drinking a hot beverage, I started to think about what this cold weather meant.
As a child, the cold was amazing. We got to bundle up in our newest jacket that we couldn’t wait to show our classmates, snow days galore, snowmen and other anthropomorphous snow creatures, snowball fights, and a rapid departure of sweat and heat! Even for those in states with no snow, the cold was a sign that the big-hitter holidays were on there way, and as a result, vacation!
But now, as an adult, the cold just brings more and more problems. I learned to drive in Florida, where snow has never been an issue. Since moving to Oklahoma, learning to drive in snow (and more specifically, ice) has been a challenge. I’ve had too many close calls on intersections, spinning my vehicle 360 degrees while attempting to break.
Owning a house makes things more challenging. I never realized just how much heating spikes up your electric bill! And for some reason, that’s when everything decides to break. Last year, my heater broke, my refrigerator broke, and my dishwasher broke. And repairmen like to charge more when they have to come to your house in the dead of winter to work on those things…
Anyways, as I get older, more and more posts on my Facebook feed are changing from “yay the cold weather is here” to “oh no the cold weather is here”. I guess it’s like other childhood wonders that get squashed once you’re an adult and responsibility gets in the way to ruin it.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love the cold weather. After all, I grew up in New Jersey, and lived through 2 blizzards and didn’t complain once. I do like living in a place once again where we get all 4 seasons. Florida is nice, but sunshine and thunderstorms get a bit old after a while.
Despite all these new challenges, I look forward to the cold weather this year. It brings about a certain mood in the air that you just can’t get with summer weather. It’s the perfect opportunity for more stay-at-home-movie-nights with the wife. And most importantly, I get to show off all the new jackets and coats I’ve bought for the season!
Feel free to share your thoughts on cold weather in the comments!