By Jim on
Anything Else
Winter
Joy

“Minnesota winter has not changed, but my perspective has. Furthermore, with my change of perspective, I’m actually enjoying myself a lot more. My greater happiness did not come from external changes, but from internal ones.” Minnesota Winter

Discussion

Fri, 01/10/14

It’s been a while since I had time to enjoy a slow read of some Nick of Time.

This one brings back mostly childhood memories, though a scattering of adult ones as well. I didn’t grow up in MN, but we had had real winters most years in Michigan. And I do remember thinking there was a lot that was pretty neat (I wanted to avoid ‘cool’ there, for obvious reasons) about the season. The sounds always really struck me… and the amazing variety of forms snow can take. There really is nothing quite like standing still in a wooded area for an hour or so completely alone on a very, very cold day. What you eventually notice—sight and sound, but especially sound—is indeed amazing.

Also never thought I’d see “who’da thunkit” in a Bauder essay.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Fri, 01/10/14
I live in central NC, and here our winter weather is usually 30s-40s with rain. Much nastier in my opinion than cold and clear. We just had the low (for us) temps this week, and it was clear, sunny, and cold, and although I’m sure I don’t speak for the vast majority of NC people, I found it refreshing and much better than what we are having today (more 40s with rain). I was in Maryland for the Christmas holidays, and on our last day we got a nice snowstorm (only about 5”, not enough to cause any serious problems), and I just loved being out in it. Winter does have a clean, refreshing feeling I can’t get the rest of the year.

In NC, Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons, and even with our bad winter weather, I prefer it to our usual very hot summers. I love when I can get away to some place that has real winter weather.

Dave Barnhart

Sat, 01/11/14

As a kid, I loved 85-90% of the MN winters. Now I am 42, and I have been living in AZ or Hawaii for the last 33 years. There is nothing appealing about a return to deep snow country. I am currently living in Prescott Valley where we get snow a few times a year, but not much. Enough for my small children to play for a couple days, but never enough to need a shovel. That’s about all the snow I can enjoy right now.

Why is it that my voice always seems to be loudest when I am saying the dumbest things?

Mon, 01/13/14

I adored Bauder’s article! Absolutely loved it. (BTW the link is no longer usable)
I grew up in MN, winter is my *favorite* time of year for all the reasons he has come to appreciate it…although I don’t run/jog, or ice fish. My husband and I hit the snowmobile trails, that’s our winter thing, this year we brought the grands for a ride :-)
(had a pic but can’t see any “upload from…” type option in the Image link..?)