WRITER’S WORKSHOP PROMPT: Describe your worst winter weather story.
A letter to Dad from my college aged self–stuck in very cold Idaho:
Dear Dad—
This… that… the other…
….blah, blah, blah yakkedy, shmackkedy…
…but as far as marriage goes—I don’t think it is going to happen here. I have a very strong felling that I need to come home and see what happens. I can’t say it’s because of Rick—I do enjoy being with him and I’d like to see him again—but I don’t know if that is why I feel this way. I just think that Arizona is where I need to be again. Maybe I’m wrong, but I won’t worry myself about it. But I do know that I could never endure living my life in the cold country. It would cause marital strife. It would—I have never been so miserable! I love this school but I hate the weather and it causes unhappiness in my life. I’d much rather live where it gets to be 110 plus. I like that, it’s in my blood.
My counselor asked me if I was coming back next year and I said No Way!!! He said that I shouldn’t choose a school based on the fact that I don’t like the weather. Ask me if I wanted to hit him! It is not a matter of disliking it a bit—I have never been so uncomfortable! Now why would I make myself suffer like this again on purpose?
…If I have my way I’ll never live near the snow again.
Fast forward 20 years…
I live near the snow again!
Though I can happily say that it is not causing marital strife, I still HATE it. It still causes me to feel uncomfortable, unhappy and very miserable and I’d still rather be living in 110 plus temperatures right now.
So you see, every winter weather story is my WORST winter weather story because
I HATE WINTER!
But at least I still have my Arizona boy to help keep me warm. Now that’s something.