I expect only one person to understand the joke I made with the title of this post, and if said person doesn’t read it and text me about it, I will be heartbroken. Only for a minute though. 

Well, here it is, the moment every person in the Midwest has been hoping for through the seemingly endless months of winter: IT’S WARMER THAN 32 DEGREES NOW!!!

Personally, I am relieved, yet I don’t take my joy in the changing of the seasons quite as seriously as the average Midwesterner. I think there are numerous positive qualities exclusive to each of the four seasons we enjoy in the Midwest. In my opinion, the changing of the seasons is the single greatest quality about living in America’s heartland, and is why I intend to spend at least the majority of my years here on this beautiful earth in this very location.

But what’s with all the hate on Winter? Well, it’s cold. I mean, extremely cold. Like, almost unbearably cold. So cold you HAVE to stay inside sometimes. Seriously, you guys, it’s that bad. And then there’s the wind that makes the cold infinitely times worse. Honestly, it’s as if Old Man Winter is reaching down from the heavens to smack you in the face a few times. As if your day needed to get any worse at that point, too. And then, on top of all that, is snow. Literally, ON TOP of all of it because it sticks to the ground, it causes your car to get stuck, it makes you slip and look like a fool, and it’s all wet (which is just the worst). So, yeah, I guess winter is kinda awful, isn’t it? Why am I defending it again? I guess I always associate winter with Christmas, which is a favorite time of year for me. Also, though it may be difficult to travel through, nothing quite matches the morning after a heavy snow. The calm in the air can is unmatched throughout the land, and is certainly a perk exclusive to the Midwest. So, for me, you get a free pass, Winter. But seriously, it’s March now, so you need to get out of here. See you in November.

Lots of people dig Spring, but it’s never done the trick for me. Sure, the first warm breeze flowing across the bare legs you’ve had in hibernation underneath sweats for the past several months feels pretty nice. I just don’t quite react the same way as other people do upon the arrival of slightly warmer, yet mostly lukewarm weather. You know the people who walk outdoors and immediately break down into tears and celebrate as if Winter had been holding them for ransom and then Spring came along as the knight in shining armor to save the day? I’m not one of them. But, Spring does let you know school is almost over, and it reminds me of the last few utterly pointless weeks of my senior year in high school. Good times. So, Spring, you’re ok, but not number 1. 

Now, Summer is complicated. This is because Summer AUTOMATICALLY at least shares everybody’s favorite season, but I’m not convinced it’s for reasons of the weather itself. Summer will always be popular because, at least for the majority of people, it will remind us of time spent as children with no school! I mean, honestly, Summer has some great stuff going for it. Being able to walk barefoot in the evening, cook outs and campfires, trips to the beach. BUT, would Summer be what it is without the association of no school? I’m not convinced. In fact, I bet when all of the seasons were little kids on the playground, Summer used to get made fun of the most. In fact, this is why Mother Nature decided to give Summer the association of not having school, not being able to imagine the polarizing and nostalgic affect this decision would have. All that being said, Summer’s not bad. Especially living on Lake Michigan, I hold some of my favorite memories in that time of year. However, Summer, you are not getting a rose tonight. The final rose goes to:

FALL!!! (Who could have seen that coming?) That magical time of year when the leaves start to change color, creating some of the most beautiful scenes in all of nature. The time of year when there is a refreshingly slight chill in the breeze. It’s the time of new beginnings, new school years, new friends, new experiences. (*Cough)My Birthday(Cough*). Good movies start being released in preparation for award season. Even as somebody who did not watch football until coming to college, I appreciate the rallying effect this sport has every autumn, both here in the Midwest and across the country. Fall, to me, you are perfect. And I love you.

It’s not always easy to pick favorites, and for me simply living in the Midwest and being able to experience all four seasons is the thing I enjoy most. Furthermore, the changing of the seasons reinforces one of the most important universal occurrences in life: change. Inevitable, frightening, change ultimately enters our lives multiple times. I myself am in the middle of a major change in my life with my 14-year swimming career coming to a close. Though it makes me sad, I embrace the next chapter of my life and what it may hold.

Change is sometimes welcomed, other times it is scorned. However, just like the weather, it is often beyond our control. And yet, it is also often for the best. Embrace it!