february

I confess...I so get it now.

Dar Williams signs a song called February. I always enjoyed it, but living in New England has truly made me understand and appreciate it. There's a special cruelness to February. It has been cold for so long. And it will be cold for so long. It can certainly snow in April and there aren't even promises for May...a couple years ago we left town for a trip in late May and it was below freezing when we hopped into our cab (w/o big coats since we were heading south).

Anyone who knows me well knows I don't do well with cold. I never did. Even as a young kid, I'd do my homework sitting on the couch with a blanket draped over me. And I was as cold with 30+ more pounds of "insulation" than I have now. I don't warm up well, especially my feet and hands. think I may be reptilian.

So, I'm trying to look for the good in February...because 28 days is too many to hide from. I've decided that winter weather in Boston is a great equalizer. There is the occasional woman I pass who could be in a store window, but most of use are bundled up in whatever layers are warmest with limited regard for aesthetic effect. The hats squish the hairdos because you'd be nuts to go without. I think this is even truer in Boston than some other cold spots because it remains a very public transit and walking oriented city. For those of us downtown, getting to work often involves a bit of a walk...often through rough wind tunnels. One could survive a dash from the car to the door in less, but the T to the office requires bundling. So, I don't notice who on the train has the latest fashion, the neatest manicure, or even the most fit body...it's all hidden away.

And part of me likes that. We are all the same under fifty layers of fleece!