Seems to me that I’ve been hearing a growing number of
people mocking us “Wisconsinites” for living in Wisconsin, especially on days when it’s particularly cold here (and warm where they are).
I’ve wanted to respond to those individuals for a long time, just never had my thoughts compiled in a way that conveys my feelings succinctly. I now have my thoughts compiled in a way that conveys my feelings succinctly.
Here’s why I stay in Wisconsin…
Truth is this: I’m in love with seasons. And not just “flash in the pan” love, I mean life-long love, for better or for worse, in snowstorms and in humidity, until drought do us part. I’m, as they say, “all in.”
I love the hope that a Wisconsin spring delivers. I love the feeling inside of me when I see the icy grip of colder weather fractured, revealing the “sneak previews” that spring offers. The coming attractions of memories not yet created; the anticipation of watching the world come alive, yet again.
I love the warmth of a Wisconsin summer, when the heat from the summer sun is only minimally hotter than the warmth of all of us together at outdoor concerts, parks, and playgrounds. I love how thankful and appreciative I am for Wisconsin summer days that weren’t planned, yet ended perfectly in sunsets that resemble a snapshot of a beautiful soul.
I love a crisp Wisconsin fall. The world becomes a glowing canvas of embers, as the trees come alive in chorus as the flames of a fire, and all the world has a front row seat. As the heat gives way to the cool nights, an open window and a mid-October night transforms sleep into slumber.
I love the incredible beauty of a Wisconsin winter. The world resting in hibernation beneath a protective blanket of snow. The outside world nudging us inward, into the warmest fabrics, under the warmest blankets, close to the warmest of hearts. A beautiful emotional retreat into our own cocoon.
So, you can have your year-round warm weather….you can have it all to yourself. To me, that weather is the “hottie” at the party with no depth or character. And once the heat wears off, there’s not much more interesting about that one.
I’ll stick with the one that keeps me alive, makes me feel, and shows me all sides of life. I’ll gladly grow old with that one.
Good things…
Weston