This one hit home. I was born & raised in West Michigan; in 1982 I rode my Electraglide down to Florida "for the winter," and ended up staying far too long. Like you, I adore winter - especially the snow. Years turned to decades, and not a day went by that I didn't long to return to my northern roots. New job, new home, new relationship …
This one hit home. I was born & raised in West Michigan; in 1982 I rode my Electraglide down to Florida "for the winter," and ended up staying far too long. Like you, I adore winter - especially the snow. Years turned to decades, and not a day went by that I didn't long to return to my northern roots. New job, new home, new relationship - always a reason to stick around for another year, until I could no longer tolerate it.
Finally, in 2009 I had an opening to return to Michigan, but a few years later, in order to find work (I'm a teacher), I had to move overseas, living for another 6 years in hot climates. I finally retired in 2018 and have maintained a home here since then - just 5 miles from my childhood home.
Yes, today's "winters" are nothing like the ones I recall from my youth. Like Chicago, we experienced high temps yesterday - mid-60's here and 70 inland. However, today it's 24℉ here, with a light coat of snow. And while I share your sadness at the premature death of "Old Man Winter," I'm reminded of the last line from Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind:" "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"
For years I've turned to this line when experiencing emotional turmoil: don't worry - things will get better. Seasons change, winter turns to spring, and so on. Today's drop in temperature and reappearance of snow symbolizes, to me, the fact that while I can no longer enjoy the long, cold, snowy winters of my youth, now & then I can step outside, fill my lungs with this cold, arctic air, and watch the snow swirl around me. And for that moment, I'm home again.
Reminds me of a friend, who has mobility issues, who loves the snow, but has a difficult time getting around. BTY, the freak out Western Washingtonians are so famous for during snow, it's absolutely true.
This one hit home. I was born & raised in West Michigan; in 1982 I rode my Electraglide down to Florida "for the winter," and ended up staying far too long. Like you, I adore winter - especially the snow. Years turned to decades, and not a day went by that I didn't long to return to my northern roots. New job, new home, new relationship - always a reason to stick around for another year, until I could no longer tolerate it.
Finally, in 2009 I had an opening to return to Michigan, but a few years later, in order to find work (I'm a teacher), I had to move overseas, living for another 6 years in hot climates. I finally retired in 2018 and have maintained a home here since then - just 5 miles from my childhood home.
Yes, today's "winters" are nothing like the ones I recall from my youth. Like Chicago, we experienced high temps yesterday - mid-60's here and 70 inland. However, today it's 24℉ here, with a light coat of snow. And while I share your sadness at the premature death of "Old Man Winter," I'm reminded of the last line from Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind:" "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"
For years I've turned to this line when experiencing emotional turmoil: don't worry - things will get better. Seasons change, winter turns to spring, and so on. Today's drop in temperature and reappearance of snow symbolizes, to me, the fact that while I can no longer enjoy the long, cold, snowy winters of my youth, now & then I can step outside, fill my lungs with this cold, arctic air, and watch the snow swirl around me. And for that moment, I'm home again.
Just the right spirit. I never take a snowstorm for granted and enjoy the hell out of every one!
Reminds me of a friend, who has mobility issues, who loves the snow, but has a difficult time getting around. BTY, the freak out Western Washingtonians are so famous for during snow, it's absolutely true.