Exhorting myself to think warming thoughts
Let’s play the “What’s it like outside?” game. The one that goes “wet vs dry”, and “hot vs cold”. I’d throw in “windy vs calm”, but that only matters when you can’t keep a straight face in the draft. Today, the local weather service page made things clear; it was cold enough to make one believe in the mitts and tuque fashion statement.
The milkman abandoned his refrigerated truck, this mo rning, opting for delivery in a heated passenger van. The newspaper man left his bicycle and trailer in the garage, opting for a heated automobile. I walked, without delay, to my bus stop. And yes, I even found a scarf to cover my face, although the wet breath led to icicles on the nose and spectacles.
Only six months ago, things were different.
A range of 60 degrees! No wonder we’re expected to have several wardrobes in this part of the world. Which, in part, explains my dismay at the ad on the side of another city bus today. A couple, smiling, wearing the minimum permitted in a public place. An ad, presenting the alternative; a stroll on a sunny beach. Somewhere else. I was unable to identify myself as part of the target clientele, because I couldn’t imagine taking off my clothes.
Remember, our clothing provides no heating value. This is an insulation game. Like a wetsuit. Where you learn to move without movement, fearful of flushing your layer of warmth. No wonder we need so many calories to get through the winter. Hibernation makes a lot of sense, when the mercury starts to be equal in a Celsius or Fahrenheit world.
