I wore shorts today. I know how absurd that first sentence is, but for me, it is life changing. My deeply held Midwestern grit prefers jeans no matter the season. Part of this is Ohio bred pride, but most of it is insecurity. I won’t let the season win, so I fight, running from the truth on my two pale stems.
Weather in Ohio is a mixed bag of discouragement and soul destroying uncertainty (okay, maybe a little overdramatic). When it’s cold, it seems like the arctic, and when it’s hot, you expect to bump into Satan. Living here for 30 plus years, I have come to realize that about 4 days a year, we are actually accepting of the weather. The rest of the year is found to be “too hot” or “too cold”. Televised weather personalities play into our fickle nature and exaggerate the day ahead. Their spot on tv gives them credibility, but deep down, they are just as baffled as those watching.
What can we learn from our Midwestern sensitivity?
No matter the season, there will be an end. Sometimes it takes a week of heatwaves, and others are only a 24 hour period of bitter cold, but tomorrow is coming. Every season gives way to the next, some seasons creep back in after their turn is over, and some seasons seem eternal, but they fade to better days. No matter the condition of today, you can rest assured in the promise of another crazy forecast tomorrow.
So bundle up, or layer down. Put on sunscreen, or dig out your parka from deep within your abysmal closet. The best we can do is dress for the season. Take courage. Wear shorts.
Matt simon blog 