A Warm Frigid

So as I walked out of work today, the sting of the Friday afternoon air didn't seem to hurt as much. True, 4 degrees is better than the -15 that I woke up to. But the funny part is, if -15 makes 4 seem acceptable, then 4 makes 25 seem reasonable, and 25 makes 45 feel great, and this process continues...

Over the last few weeks, I have dealt with car troubles, tire troubles, parking outside, frost biten windows, frozen doors, feet of snow, sheets of ice, 3 to 4 times longer morning and afternoon commutes, salt rippled frames, giant potholes, intolerable winds, drained batteries, and some mix of rain and ice and snow and anything inbetween.

I am not egocentric, most of you have dealt with the same things.

But after this barrage of winter's fury, I made a mental note that Florida is next on my wish list. Beaches and palm trees and a healthy car, oh my.

But just like Butters in 'Raisins,' I learned something today. While these windy city winters break spirits like they're egg shells, we here earn something that is uncommon in the desert, on a beach, stranded in the tropics. Because, without the cold and the miserable, the warmth and the bliss wouldn't seem so great. It may physically hurt to walk outside tonight, but without this angsty reminder that things can be this bad, maybe things would never seem so good. So, I guess what I'm feeling is like a, a warm frigid. A feeling that lets me know things won't always stay this way. Plus, i'd rather be a Chicagoan than a pansy Floridian.