With the late onset of wintry weather this year, it’s been even harder than usual for me to adjust to the cold temperatures of the last couple of days. Not that I ever adjust easily. I absolutely loathe the cold. It might have something to do with the fact that I’m five feet eight inches tall and weigh 118 pounds. There’s not very much insulation on this bony frame of mine. In fact, I can drink mug after mug of hot tea from sunup to sundown and never warm up. So, winter is easily my least favorite season of the year. When people tell me they’re looking forward to a weekend of skiing or an afternoon of ice skating outdoors, I just don’t get it. Who said that fun has to come with a side of frostbite? Call me crazy, but I rather enjoy feeling my fingers and toes. And snow? Well, let me just say there’s a reason it’s a four-letter word.
So, you may wonder, why on earth do I choose to reside in the northeastern part of the United States? Why, you ask, don’t I just pack my bags and move to sunny Florida? Surely I would be happier there than I am here. No snow, no frigid temperatures, Disney World within driving distance…sounds like paradise for a cold-natured gal like moi! But if I did move there, then what would I have to complain about between December and April? Plus, although I detest the cold, at least I know how to deal with it (stay inside). And living in an area with four seasons per year, as I do now, I have the pleasure of changing up my wardrobe every few months to prevent fashion fatigue from setting in.
But to be perfectly honest, the main reason I stay here in Northern Virginia, even though it’s pretty cold here in the winter, is that my dislike of change is much stronger than my dislike of winter weather. Someone famous (please don’t ask me who) once said that familiarity breeds contempt, but for me it brings contentment. Sure, I’d be warmer in Florida, but I’d be so disoriented that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it.
And so, my friends (and foes), yours truly will be spending the winter of 2012 here in good old Gainesville -- drinking lots of hot tea, cranking up the space heater, and generally trying my damnedest to stay warm during this seemingly endless season of bare trees and dead grass. It certainly could be worse. At least the snow and cold are latecomers this year. And hey, if this mild winter is the result of that environmental scourge known as global warming…well, I know it isn’t PC to say this, but… BRING IT ON! I’ve never been a big fan of polar bears and icebergs anyway – too big and dangerous, both of them. And to any of you who insist that you actually enjoy spending time outdoors in the winter months, I hope my words here haven’t persuaded you to stop indulging in your favorite al fresco activities. By all means, ski! Skate! Snowboard! Because frankly, the more of you who do so, the more room there’ll be in the malls and movie theaters for us cold-weather wimps to congregate and commiserate.
Leigh Giza is a poet, writer, part-time library employee and frequent blogger.
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