The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. There’s a chill in the air and the leaves are falling. This can only mean one thing to what’s on the horizon again: Winter. It’s not my favorite season of the year. In fact, it’s probably my least favorite season. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t like the snow or the fact that it gets cold for a couple of months. I know for a lot of you out there reading this that it’s probably your favorite season and I can understand that point of view. I just can’t agree with you though.
I think that it’s the most boring of the four seasons and that there really isn’t much to do. I would like to think that I’m not the only one who goes into hibernation for a few months around this time of year. I’m mostly indoors and catching up on movies, television, reading good books, other indoor activities, etc. that I neglected when it was sunny and warm outdoors. It doesn’t help that there’s basically only seven or eight hours of sunlight as opposed to the twelve to fourteen hours of sunlight during the spring and summer.
Growing up in an area located relatively close to the beach and the ocean, I couldn’t help but fall into disfavor with the winter season. I love the cool breeze, the seafood, the waves splashing and the warm sand. It doesn’t help my seasonal bias with the fact that I have never went skiing or snowboarding in my life which is a shame within itself. Perhaps, trying out some winter sports would change my opinion on this great debate. I’ll never understand those people who would rather be brutally cold than oppressively hot. I’ve always chosen being apart of the latter unfortunate situation. If it’s really warm, I can just go to the local pool or make myself a cold drink but if it’s really cold, I usually have less of a desire to be outdoors and remain inside, which can make me go stir crazy at times. I also really enjoy having more hours of sunlight to enjoy and I don’t think I’m alone in this.
I have never really gotten used to the fact that during the month of January especially, it can become completely dark out by 5 PM. Surprisingly, the changing seasons can even affect a person’s mood and emotional state. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real medical diagnosis these days and usually occurs during the bleak, colder, darker months of the year, *cough* winter! *cough.* When have you ever heard of someone having the blues or being down in the dumps as a direct result of it being the spring or the summer? “SAD” doesn’t really happen at all during these seasons especially if the ice cream man comes around the neighborhood looking to handing out treats to the locals.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate winter and I have some fond memories from my past of snowball fights, snow angels and hot chocolate after hours of playing in the snow. However, maybe it’s apart of childhood that we enjoy this particular season but now the tediousness of shoveling snow, experiencing flight delays, having cold/flu symptoms, etc. as an adult are complicating those previous happy memories from when I was younger. At least there are still the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year); Winter will always have those advantages going for it in my mind.
The Life and Times of Ben Weinberg 