Brrr! Grab your winter coat and buckle up, folks, because here in St. Louis, the chill is real. I mean, really real. And guess what? It’s about to get even colder tomorrow. But hey, no biggie – we’re seasoned pros at this icy game. We religiously tune in to the morning weather forecast like it’s the hottest gossip, taking those warnings seriously and prepping like our lives depend on it (well, our cozy lives, at least).
But let me take you back to the good ol’ days when I hailed from a place where the weather was about as gentle as a kitten’s purr. Meteorology? Yeah, not exactly the career path that screamed excitement. Back then, predicting the weather was like predicting which flavor of ice cream your neighbor would pick – a topic of amusement.
I can still hear my dad and his buddies having a good laugh about weather forecasts on TV. If there was a 90% chance of rain, you could bet your last rupee that they’d be strolling out without an umbrella, living life on the edge. Rain prediction? More like a practical joke.
Fast forward to this morning when my brother, curious about St. Louis weather, got an earful from me. I might have exaggerated just a tad about how bone-chillingly cold it is here in January. And in return, he tells me about Pune being cold(er). I inquire, “Like, below 10 degrees Celsius cold?” He chuckles and hits me with a reality check – “Nah, it’s around 20, but it’s cold.”
Ah, the sweet nostalgia of when 15, 20 degrees Celsius used to be the pinnacle of coldness in my world. Now? Not so much.
It’s all relative, my friends. Isn’t it? When you transition, maybe to a different place, new job, new life situation, you name it, you must change your systems or gauges of measurements. If you don’t, or delay doing it – you yourself are the one who could feel stuck!
Thinking about transition – my mind can’t help but wander to my Clemson days. I remembered a cozy little apartment where the only thing hotter than the weather outside was our eccentric temporary roommate. Now, this guy had a unique approach to dealing with the cold. While the rest of us were bundling up like Eskimos, he took a bold stand – quite literally. Refusing to succumb to the layers of warmth, he declared a one-man rebellion against winter attire. The uniform? Underpants. That’s it. No sweaters, no socks, just the bare essentials.
I can’t out this guy, so let’s call him SB. To make matters more entertaining (or awkward, depending on your perspective), SB cranked the heater up to a toasty 85 degrees. Yes, you heard that right – a balmy 85. As you can imagine, the rest of us were sweating bullets, not from the temperature outside, but from the tropical sauna he had created within our humble abode.
SB refused to transition into Clemson weather. He was stuck in his warm coastal Indian climate and consequently missed out on enjoying the first snow or coziness in bundling up.
Change (and transitioning that comes with it) is the very essence of life. There is nothing wrong in holding onto things, to an extent that is, but never let that deny the chance what new beginnings or systems or way of being could bring. Be open to the possibilities and get (positively) surprised!
Afterall, it’s all relative!
Mandar – The Philosopher, over and out!
Stay warm, stay clothed (preferably), and never underestimate the power of a good weather-induced story! 🌡️🩲😂
Jan 14, 2024, update in Fahrenheit and Celsius respectively, only for recording purposes.
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