I have always complained about the Weather. I guess it is part of the nature of us spoiled Baby Boomers to complain about almost everything. But, I am ,here and now, making a public statement that I will try to keep my trap shut about Maine weather from now on. As I watch the news and see the devastation that flooding, tornadoes, mudslides, earthquakes, and hurricanes cause in other parts of our great land, I realize that we who live in the Northeast are relatively lucky. Yes, we have to deal with lots of cold months; and yes, we have short Summers and sometimes bleak Springs; but, overall we are fortunate in that we usually don’t have catastrophic weather events.
As you may know, I have lived in other places. A lot of other places. I have experienced earthquakes in San Francisco and Alaska. I have evacuated from hurricanes in Florida. I have suffered through smog in Los Angeles, and heat inversions in Boston. I was also living in Maine in January of 1998, when we did suffer an unusual weather event..the ICE STORM that blanketed our entire State. Taking into consideration all of my travels and moves, I am still grateful to be in Maine now that I am a woman “d’un certain age”. We have a real variety of weather, and often are surprised by what happens.
Today, for example, is a bright sunny day in early October. It is expected to be close to 80 degrees in parts of Maine. Feels like Summer, looks like Fall. Spectacular. This is a day to rejoice and savor. Carpe this diem!
We all have to make choices throughout our lives. Some work out, some we learn from. I don’t regret any of my geographical moves/choices. I learned from all of them, and met wonderful people in each location. As I look back, I think the lesson is that we have to prioritize what we really value each time we make a choice. We have to live with the good and the not-so-good of each decision. If you live where it is almost always hot or warm, there will be trade offs, just as there are if you live where it is almost always cold. There is no perfect climate or perfect place. You just have to decide what you can tolerate and live with. And, occasionally, like today, there will be a perfect day.
BarbaraBeardsley.com 