My newest column
Jan 10th, 2008 by Peter
As I promised yesterday, here’s what I wrote:
Here in Aalborg things should be great, but something is amiss.
Considering everything I should be upbeat. I’ve had the first days off from work since July (very important to maintain my mental health). X-mas and New Years Eve were great. I have a loving wife and a great family. I like my work and colleagues. I am hardly in position to complain, am I? Then why am I glum? Something is missing, but what is it?
I gave it a lot of reflection, but couldn’t put a finger on it. A few days ago it finally hit me: What Aalborg need is snow!
So far we’ve had none here. Maybe I’m insane for wanting snow. It does make the ground slippery. Old ladies fall and break their hips. Traffic do transform into a multitude of accidents waiting to happen. Snow is the weather’s way to tell us that temperature is dropping and that bear-like clothing is soon obligatory. What’s to like about it really?
Look at the alternative: Wintertime without snow really suck!
These days all the trees in Aalborg have dropped their leaves. They stand back like skeleton silhouettes against the grey sky. The days are short and it’s cold, rainy and windy. Aalborg may never look sadder than in the early January. Snow would really cure the weather-blues.
I’m not wishing for a snow storm or the next ice age. Just a pretty layer of feather light snow. Think about it: Sure it wouldn’t put the leaves back on the trees, but it certainly would spice them up. It would still be cold and windy, but you wouldn’t notice it as much. Snow light up everything and light keep the worst winter depressions at bay.
That’s exactly what December has been all about: A long depressing row of “grey”. Then the holidays follow. We overeat and get no exercise. Your favourite shirt is suddenly too tight. The good times come to a halt and that leave us filled with guilt. A New Year’s resolution suddenly seem like a good idea. At least for 2 days until you snap and treat yourself to a comfort snack. Early January you are left with nothing to look forward to. The summer seems miles away.
I love snow, because it is designed it to cure winter-depressions. In all fairness it’s a love-hate relationship. When it’s not around in December/January I miss it. When it finally appear I tire of it quickly. I always want what I can’t have.
Oddly enough, it started snowing the day after I wrote the entry.