Becoming weathered

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Hi neighbors. If you've looked out your window lately you've noticed the snow. If you've had to actually get out into the snow I feel sorry for you.

Since I've retired I've made it a point to avoid snow as much as possible. Snow, icy streets, bone-chilling gales, frosted windshields, these are all the bane of the working folk. Been there and done that -- way more than should have been enough for anyone.

As a retired person my options should be limitless on finding a place to live where no temperature reading falls under 60 degrees.

But now, with the hurricanes becoming so frequent, I think I'll stay away from the Southern Coast. Can't go north because that just gets colder and colder.

Moving to the East wouldn't work, too much lake effect snow in the Ohio Valley. The Eastern Coast gets way too many ocean storms.

Between here and the West Coast is a big desert. That should be warm, but I like coffee too much to risk being in a water-rationed area.

The West Coast should be ideal, but it might suffer the big one any day and slide into the ocean. I can't swim. Looks like Missouri is where I'll stay, cold winters and all.

I'm only joking anyway. Missouri is my residence of choice.

You can't really tell what the weather feels like from one place to another though. Even if you know the temperatures, wind chills and precipitation.

When I lived in Kansas for ten years and moved back to Missouri, I thought the weather was bland. It just felt different than the windy plains.

After a year or two though it seemed to get colder in the winter and hotter in the summer. I guess I became "acclimatized" -- used to the new weather -- "Getting weathered" as my grandmother would say.

Once, note "once" I argued with my grandmother about something she said that I don't remember now and probably knew nothing about then.

Although she had a large assortment of other things she could have done, she took time to explain to me why she was right. And of course, why I was wrong.

That's the good thing about grandparents. "Because I said so" is never the reason they give a curious child. Even a smart-mouthed one.

So when Granny spoke of "getting weathered" I thought a bit before arguing her usage of a phrase I had only heard used in reference to old barn siding.

I thought I had it figured out when my uncle, who had been watching my facial grimaces and realized I was pondering, spoke up.

"Well, you've heard of weathering a storm haven't you? That's about weather. Makes sense to me it means getting used to the weather." Somehow that still didn't sound quite right, but it made a kind of off-kilter sense the more I thought about it.

Multiple interpretation of the phrase makes even more sense now that I'm closer to the same age Granny was when she mentioned it.

I realize now that becoming weathered has as much to do with surviving life's storms as it does just getting used to living in a new environment.

Getting used to life, settling in, becoming acclimatized; might make us feel the cold and the heat to a greater degree than when we first began the journey.

That sounds very philosophical, doesn't it?

Adapting to where you are in your life is an important skill. Adapting doesn't have to mean humbly accepting.

But I'd be the first to speak out in favor of keeping the barn newly painted to preserve the exterior boards as long as possible.

Those of us who have become used to any weather have the sense to wear the appropriate clothing for the season.

Snow looks better on the ground than around the temple area if you know what I mean.

We do clean off our sidewalks and sprinkle out salt. We get snow tires and antifreeze.

Becoming weathered doesn't have to mean surrender to the elements. It should instead simply remind us that we have made it this far.

Many old barns keep standing for years -- even if they do lean a bit. Can we expect any less from our own weathered selves? Sure, we may have to hunker down now and then when the wind blows a bit too strong. We might carry an umbrella just in case it rains or the sun shines too hot.

Until the next time friends remember; becoming weathered indicates we've seen a lot of seasons and are still standing. Maybe because living is something we've just now gotten used to.