Whether Weather Matters

It's too humid today. It was too hot and humid yesterday. It was just about right a few days ago. The weather varies too much from the ideal and is a constant source of irritation. Oh, if only it would be 75° and sunny every day! Baloney! I spent five years in southern California. I delighted in the constancy of the weather my first year in residence. I recall standing under a palm tree in January, gazing through the fronds at the clear blue sky and feeling that I was in paradise. As time passed in blissfully balmy conditions I grew less and less pleased with my heavenly home. The trees didn't change colors in fall. Winter rains that greened the hills stopped in spring, turning the countryside into the Golden State, which upon closer inspection was more brown than gold. Natural vegetation was scrubby and dry in summer. I yearned for the lush green landscapes of the Midwest. Large flakes of fluffy snow fell gently in Harvard Yard in a scene from the movie, "Love Story." I had to drive up to Mt. Wilson if I wanted to make a snowball. Variety truly is the spice of life. I don't complain much about the weather anymore.