30 December 20XX+1
My Dear Lucilius:
The cold has returned with a vengeance.
It is hard for me to assess if this is colder than normal – yes, I could look at a temperature record and it would give me the numerical values, but it would not tell me the actual things, like the rationing of heating wood or how precisely long one can consider staying in before the outhouse becomes more than a nice idea.
One looks outside, sighs, and carries on measuring the cost/benefit ratio of the task at hand versus the cold.
I know I have written before about the weather and my perceptions of it – but I find myself thinking more and more about how those perceptions have changed as time has gone on.
It is fair to say that “civilization” – whatever that means – is likely not re-establishing itself this year (given that it is the end of the year!) and, if the complete lack of contact is any indication, is not on its way to making a bold breakthrough next year as well.
The cold should not feel “colder” because it becomes increasingly clear that we are on our own for whatever period of time that is allocated to us – but it does, a sort of intellectual thought that manifests itself as adding an edge to the wind that may not be there or a coldness in our bones that is imagined.
This inner sense impacting the outer sense makes little sense to me, but I know it to be true: The fact that the sun is warmer and the air clearer when we are love for example, or the fog that seems only deeper in our sadness. Our mind somehow adds to the outer world and intensifies the experience in a way I can explain, but not comprehend.
How odd, Lucilius, that the old saw “We make our own weather” is more deeply true than I imagined.
Your Obedient Servant, Seneca
Well right now Intellectual weather isn't in play TB, removing five inches of white stuff from a 80 foot by 16 foot driveway yesterday overrode everything for a bit, my thanks to whoever came up with the two-stage snow thrower. Can understand how the future looks bleaker when there is no EMT, fire or LEO around to respond to calls for help.
ReplyDeleteNylon12, it does not sound like it at all!
DeleteSadly, I do not think I would do well in truly snowy environments = but yes, technology like that is certainly a blessing.
I do not think people fully understand what not having those sorts of back up services really means.
This got me to thinking about how fast our global warming might recover with a disaster of this scale. With no cars being driven, no factories emitting, etc., I imagine it might recover fairly quickly.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, maybe not Ed. Certainly climate has changed in the past where there was no hint of human intervention. And one good volcanic eruption can change things definitively.
DeleteJust in from doing my part of the snow removal before my plow guy does his.
ReplyDeleteWell worth the money as I sit here on a hotpack, although if he wasn't available I could snowblow the rest in a couple of hours.
Volcanoes and solar activity is far more the driver of "climate change " than all of our human activities. Water pollution, yes stopping stupid human dumping of nastiness into waterways has been proven repeatedly in history as far back as Victorian England.
Lack of cheerfulness does make rough times worse.
Michael the anonymous
Michael, that sounds like a fantastic investment!
DeleteThere would certainly be a difference pollution. I recall this happening in Venice specifically during The Plague.
Would a disease be deemed a pollution?
DeleteOr the filth and lack of sanitation be pollution?
Or the huge numbers of dead pollution?
Seems mostly water pollution but I'd like to hear your thoughts.
"Pollution: Something which is unclean, impure, or corrupt." (Webster's New Edition dictionary, 1982.).
DeleteMore recent definitions seem to include specifically the addition of chemical or hazardous wastes to the environment.
So, it appears, it largely depends on what one would feel meets those categories.
It amazes me how so many things affect our perception of how the temperature feels outside. Much of my day is spent outdoors and I'm always noticing that and thinking about that. Humidity is one huge factor in comfort. So our temps here have been typical for December but the humidity has been in the 90s% every day. Add the cold wind and it feels terribly frigid outside. Lower humidity and a warmer breeze at the same temps is totally different!
ReplyDeleteLeigh - Our temperatures recently have "spiked" to the mid-50's. It is surprising to me how much warmer this seems to me, although it is only a 10 degree move - and how much it improves my mood!
DeleteHumidity almost never makes me happy.