days_unfolding

While I was lurking journals today, I saw a reference to a big winter storm that hit Chicago and Detroit. Given that's where my family lives, I was disturbed, although I know that the media tends to overreact to winter storms. I checked online, and the storm didn't sound so bad, although Detroit is in for the snow/ice/rain mix that can be really nasty. I popped off an e-mail to my dad (in Chicago), and called my mom (in Detroit) tonight.

I couldn't reach either of them. I'm more worried about my mom because her answering machine didn't answer. I tried calling again, and the call went into limbo for a while, and then I heard "if you'd like to make a call, please hang up...." I'm sure that she's okay though. She's lived in the Midwest for a lot longer than I did, and knows what to do in case of a power failure, etc.

The Chicago Tribune (local paper) asked for this storm a few days ago:

Yes, we are calling on the Powers That Be to unleash a real Chicago winter, spiked with a brutal blizzard, an extended spell of subzero temperatures, the symphonic howl of winds off the lake.

It went on to discuss the character-building benefits of winter:

Chicago without dramatic winters is unimaginable. Without winter, we're no tougher than the sun-spoiled residents of San Diego. More important, if we haven't suffered through winter, as one native recently remarked, there's no way we can appreciate spring.

I heard about the character-building thing during the whole time I was in Chicago. I think that most snow-belt cities kind of look down their noses at cities in the sun-belt. However, I'm not sure that the weather really builds character. What it does build is raw stubbornness. No true Chicagoans ever let the weather stop them from doing something. I remember one time when the buses stopped running because of snow, so I walked the two miles to high school in the snow. (Sounds like something that you'd tell your kids, doesn't it? "In my day....") I started college in January, and we were having a cold snap of -20F, with a wind chill of -40F. I wanted to explore, damn it, so I went out to check out the campus, stores, and restaurants. Yes, it was very, very cold.

When I first moved to California, I freaked out the native Californians because I was completely unphased by rain. I walked a lot, and when it rained, I'd grab my umbrella and go. I remember getting into conversations with my colleagues that went something like this: "Where are you going?" <I'd explain where I was going.> "But it's raining." "I know. I have my umbrella." "But it's raining."

Lately, when I need to go to the grocery store, and it's raining, I'll see if I can hold out an extra day. Gotta wonder what has changed me. It's strange how much of the weather is in our heads.