In Texas the weather can swing from early summer to midwinter in about 24 hours. That’s what we’re expecting to happen, from a high of about 85 to a high of about 35. If the weather can be so wild, then why am I surprised when life is?
This is why I think small talk (or even big talk) about the weather is a good thing. It’s one of the basic conflicts in literature: man vs. nature. Yesterday at my poetry group, they were talking about a windstorm that happened long before my time but has had lasting effects on the town where I now live.
Our family has weekend plans in four different cities, all of which may be affected by the coming winter weather. My dogs will go from laying in the sun to laying beside the fire. The one constant? It is December. The trees on Marktplatz and Main Street are lit for the holidays. The outdoor ice rink is open. When we’re downtown on Friday night for the parade, I am sure all of us—locals and tourists alike—will be talking about the weather.
