Winter should be season of reflection

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Michigan is my home state. As someone from Michigan, I’ve come to accept the saying that there are two seasons: construction and winter. Weirdly enough, as time goes on, I’ve become increasingly disenchanted with the latter.

Winter seemingly is a magical season for most Americans. For many people outside of academia, the winter holidays allow for time away from work to reunite with family and catch up on events from the past year. Even the first big snowfall gets people excited.

The winter lovers’ arguments are strong, but for me, they just aren’t enough. A large amount of people love snow until Dec. 26, when the magic of Christmas presumably is outweighed by increased commute times and having to shovel snow, among other inconveniences of the season.
Thanks to that darn groundhog, people will think we have many more weeks of cold, snowy weather to come.

The weather, along with Michigan’s economy, seem to have taken a toll on the population. Michigan loses people every year, and this was before the financial crisis punctuated existing economic troubles.

Not surprisingly, more than half of the top 10 states receiving residents from other states are located in warmer regions of the country, according to a 2007 Pew Research Center study.

The loss of population especially concerns Michigan politicians, since it is possible that Michigan could lose a congressional seat if population has fallen significantly.

I plan to leave Michigan for a warmer, sunnier state after college. The snow just has lost its appeal. As people get older, the excitement about snow days disappears, and the inconveniences and increased driving hazards brought on by snow are enough to ruin plans.

Winter does have one very strong element not many people recognize when arguing about its positives and negatives.

Taking a walk on a not-too-cold winter day with light snow is one of the most stunning things a person can experience. The sheen of sparkling, untouched snow is near blindingly beautiful. It was during a winter walk that I realized how integral winter is to us as Michiganians.

Winter is a great equalizer. In the summer, we see shades of green, orange and yellow, among other colors, but a heavy snowfall has a way of transforming the landscape into a beautiful, uniform environment.

Winter teaches us to slow down. Throughout the warmer months, we constantly rip and run from place to place. Even taking out summer vacation for schools, it is hard to deny that summer is a season distinctly centered on freedom.

Conversely, winter is a season focused on reflection. It only is appropriate that during this time when we are more likely to stay indoors that we take time to re-evaluate our current situations and relationships while also planning for the future. In this way, living in a state with distinct seasons is a great experience.

The winter theme of reflection explains why the people who love the season love it so much. Memories of holidays with family, building snowmen and time away from school easily come flooding back after a heavy snowfall.

“California Dreamin’” is one of my favorite songs, mostly because the title almost perfectly describes the “Midwestern kid longing for the West Coast” attitude. However appropriate it is, I know that experiencing winter for most of my life has instilled patience that I don’t think one would get as easily otherwise. This isn’t to say that warmer states such as California, Florida and Texas don’t have their share of seasonal problems (if Michigan’s two seasons are “construction” and “winter,” California’s are “on fire” and “not on fire”), but just an observation that the environment in which one grows up shows up in his or her personality.

While I eagerly anticipate the return of life to the somewhat barren landscape, I know that the season of reflection has allowed me time to properly plan for the future.

Justin Covington is a State News guest columnist and journalism senior. Reach him at coving27@msu.edu.

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