I'm Waiting

I’m Waiting

“I hate winter.”

I say it out loud, but only because I’m alone. Heaven forbid anyone in New England makes that statement out loud. For some reason, just being born here practically makes it illegal to hate winter.

I assume it’s the same in, like, Wyoming, which I actually would understand, very north, high altitude, rugged. Massachusetts, not so much. I mean did the Pilgrims climb mountains? I think not.

Every year as winter approaches they start hyping it...Sledding, skiing, toboggans, snow sculptures, ice skating, ice fishing... you name it, there’s a fun activity for everyone! People even jump into the freezing ocean to raise money! The freezing cold ocean!

Me, I like spring and fall, and summer second. Winter, ugg... Do you know how many kinds of precipitation we have in winter? There’s the four main, of course, rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow. But there are categories of each that go well beyond their name. For instance slush, hail, blizzards, flurries, glacial downpours! We get them all and all anyone says is, good for skiing! Or, bad for skiing! As if all we want to do around here is ski! I also don’t ski.

To me winter is cold, gray, and dreary. Add the fact that with the time change you get up in the dark and then drive home from work in the dark too, so fun.

Yet when you say you hate winter out loud, people treat you like you just kicked the tooth fairy! I learned long ago to keep my big mouth, and my opinions, to myself. Me, and a great number of other like-minded non-enthusiasts... (you know who you are...) One day we can tell the truth, out loud. Maybe not in this lifetime, of course, but some day... I’m waiting.