Tag Archives: warmer weather

My own inability to comprehend palm trees and Christmas decorations in one place

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Several times in my life I have been in warm weather locales before and after Christmas. As is true in many places in the United States, this time of year involves Christmas decorations: lights, Christmas trees, garlands, and more. I have difficulty comprehending this.

When I think of Christmas, I think of cold weather. Snow at times. Warm jackets. Hats and gloves. This is the context in which I usually see all the activities of Christmas. Christmas trees and lights go up after the temperatures have dropped and winter is near or has just begun. I grew up in and have spent most of my life in the Chicago area where this is the norm.

We all have mental grids through which information we take in passes through. We have models of how the world works. Our experiences and understandings are influenced by our settings. What we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste around us helps inform us of the world.

When we confronted with something different compared to our understanding, it can cause us to pause. How does that work? It is possible to have Christmas and 80 degree weather? People can walk outside at Christmas in shorts and short sleeve shirts? People can go to the beach on Christmas?

If I lived in such a location, I suppose I would get used to this. It would be the way it is. Then traveling to cold and snow during Christmas would seem out of the ordinary. How do those people survive frigid air each holiday season?

In the meantime, any journey I take to warmer weather around Christmas will continue to confound me. I can enjoy it while there but it does not feel like the full holiday experience. I know Christmas in one particular setting and would need a lot more time elsewhere to alter my model of what Christmas can be.

The start to social distancing summer

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As the weather warms up, people want to get back to summer activities: going to the beach, taking vacations, outdoor gatherings with family and friends, barbequing, outdoor festivals and performances, and more. How much of this is possible? A few thoughts connected to recent posts:

  1. If consumption is indeed down, this will be disastrous for many communities. Already, local finances are in trouble but without infusions of cash from tourists, many places will struggle.
  2. Americans like to drive; is the summer road trip possible in many parts of the United States?
  3. Certain outdoor activities will be okay in many places. But, this is reliant on either having large spaces where people can spread out or in private spaces with fewer people. Large beaches will be okay, smaller settings (thinking of some of Chicago’s smaller beaches) may be more problematic. Having a cookout in a backyard is fine while having a bunch of people in a confined space for a concert will cause more issues. Walking and biking are made easier with warmer weather.
  1. Does warmer weather increase sociability? This is when physical distancing might be a more appropriate term than social distancing as people seek to be outside more and inevitably interact with more people.
  2. With disparities in COVID-19 cases across locations and groups, will some groups have a more typical summer while others will face heavier restrictions?
  3. A summer without sports is hard to imagine. How will people get around this or seek alternatives?

With Memorial Day almost here, we will see what happens.