Weathering the Seasons

Summer. Dedicated to the sun, the sand, the heat, the beach, the bathing suits, vacations. It's supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be "the time of our lives" and the reward for enduring all the other seasons. It's not like that for me.

Where I live, Summer is a nightmare. It hogs up most of the year with no regard for the other seasons. It makes Spring and Autumn seem nonexistent. It makes Winter fight so hard just to exist for about two months. The people here all seem crazy and it's all because of Summer taking 3/4's of the year instead of 1/4. It's a Cruel, Cruel Summer here.

Autumn. Up North, Autumn was my favorite season. The fresh, cool breezes. The magnificent colors in the trees. The grounds covered in fallen yellows, oranges, reds, browns. The enjoyment of buying and wearing sweaters and blue jeans. Every moment, every place, picturesque.

Where I am, not up North, Autumn can not be seen very well. The palm trees and pine trees never change colors. We get Hurricane warnings and sometimes branches and fronds fall. No one cares about Halloween here, because it's still too hot to wear any costume comfortably. Autumn may be impressive up north, but in the south, no one even notices Autumn. I thank God that Dunkin Donuts at least has Pumpkin Coffee or I wouldn't notice Autumn either.

Winter. Up north, after raking up the rainbow of leaves, the weather provides the most beautiful white blanket, comforting the earth and stratifying the new births. Fires glow is an amazing contrast to witness and enjoy against the snowy backdrop. Roasted turkey and chestnuts and cinnamon baking on some pastry all become associated with the stillness and the cold. Christmas songs play in the background as the holiday is a welcomed distraction for those who don't like being stuck at home.

Here in the south, Winter is so different. It has become my favorite because it's my savior. It's not as beautiful as it is up north. No snow. But the temperatures do change. I can breathe again without the life support of air conditioning. I can go for a walk in blue jeans without cursing life for the torture. I can laugh at drivers on the road who still have their windows up while I enjoy the air that God gave us.

Then there's Spring. The Birth, the Renaissance, the Resurrection. Spring must feel the way Autumn feels down here in the south. Up North, Spring shines, a welcome relief from the long, hard, cold winter. The snow has melted away. People are smiling wider at the sunshine. The grass and flowers are growing again.

But here in the south, Spring is only noticed because it's hot again and we can smell the fresh flowers. No one cares about Easter. Only Miami Vice cares about pastels. Spring Breakers drink on the beach and look for the best bikini. That's about it for Spring.

Weathering the seasons in the south is basically being equipt to deal with endless summer. Forget what you know about Autumn, Spring, or Winter, they don't matter. You don't need a coat, or winter boots, or a snowsuit. All you really need is a bathing suit and a car with a/c. If you don't have those two items, you will not weather the seasons of the south very well.