Small Talk

I have recently come to the long drawn conclusion that people are inherently hardwired to complain about the weather. No matter the season, it seems there is always somebody moaning that, it’s too cold, it’s too hot, there’s been too much rain, there hasn’t been enough rain.

As the weather happens to be every body’s favorite topic for an easy conversation starter I find myself constantly getting sucked in to it as well as being guilty of indulging myself in it from time to time.

Truth is though; I could really care less. After 32 years I’ve come to accept the fact that I live in a part of the world that is prone to cold winters, hot and humid summers and a rainy spring and fall. To the most miserable among us, we may even only get a handful of truly perfect days every year. I also accept that I don’t want to move anywhere that would have a drastically different climate any time soon.

I actually quite like all the different seasons, the different moods they inspire and how it affects my attitude and work patterns. I am more restless in the summer, allow myself to take time off and like to work on just building stretchers or big wood working pieces that I can do outside. The fall and spring seem to be very creative times where a lot of ideas are sketched out or written down and the winter is when I like to hibernate in the studio, spending long hours concentrating on paintings.

Until I develop the super human power to control nature I’m basically left to cope with what I’m dealt. There are so many other things that I can worry about that I do have the power to change in order to make a positive impact on my life, why waste time thinking or talking about the things I can’t.

So unless of course your lively hood depends on it or it threatens your existence. Just shut up and deal with it. Many of us live and work in climate controlled facilities. Southern Ontario isn’t known for its tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, etc. Champagne problems. If it’s raining, stay inside. If it’s too hot, go to the beach. Leave the complaining to farmers, roofers and old people.