Cold Weather: An Analysis

I owe a post about Thanksgiving and the times after.  But only one thing is on my mind right now- the horrible, miserable, cold weather I have been dealing with, and will be facing for at least the next week.  I hate cold weather the way other people hate hot weather, or root canals, or taxes.  I am sure my loathing will ease as winter settles in (wait, it hasn't started yet?), but this first freeze is always the worst.  So, as I warmed myself in the tub this evening, I challenged myself to find reasons why cold weather is actually needed and, perhaps, a good thing.  Here's what I came up with.

Many animals need cold weather for survival.  Bears and squirrels (or is it chipmunks?  or both?) hibernate, and I'm assuming if it weren't cold they wouldn't know when to turn out their lights and crawl into their beds.  Maybe the changes in daylight are plenty, though, and they don't need the cold.  So I'll get back to you on that.

Arctic and Antarctic animals need cold though!  What would the world be like without polar bears and penguins?  Not as cute, anyway.  And we wouldn't have movies like March of the Penguins and Happy Feet.  Well, one of those would be missed anyway.  We also wouldn't have awesome Coke commercials at Christmas.

So why do humans need cold weather?  Well, snow, of course!  First of all, snow is beautiful to look at.  Each snowflake is unique, so they tell us.  Of course, you can't tell this by looking at them outside while you are freeing, but you can tell by looking through microscopes, which I think is just as pretty, and warmer.

Okay, so snow is fun because you get to play with it!  Snowballs, snowball fights, snowmen.  Then sports, from skiing to sledding to ice skating.  I skiied once, and hurt myself.  I have ice skated a few times, all indoors in Texas, where it wasn't nearly as cold outside.  But I'll admit, snowsports are fun.  I don't need them every day though.  In fact, I'm willing to have them stay wherever you cold-loving people live and I'll travel to them!  Keep your resorts in good shape and I'll happily visit when I need a snow fix.  It's what I did as a kid in California and it worked great.  Here in Texas I'd actually have to fly.  Or drive to the mall to ice skate.

So, this exercise has taught me that cold weather is a wonderful thing.  For other people.  I have no desire to see seasons change, break out fuzzy sweaters, or put on heavy coats.  I love hot chocolate, but am fine with chocolate milk, and will take my cider or coffee hot or cold.  I want flip flops over boots and shorts over jeans.  In the immortal words of Davy Crockett, "You may all go to Alaska (Colorado, Antarctica, etc)- I will go to Texas (Hawaii, Mexico, etc)!"