Just a Man with a Mash Paddle

It took awhile, but the cold weather finally rolled in a few days ago.  We even got some brief periods of snow; including snow on the ground so that it almost looked like it really could be winter.  A lot of that snow is gone, but the cold weather certainly hasn’t left us.  I do love winter, but I’m not sure how I feel about this.  I’m a big fan of having four seasons, so I’m never happy when one intrudes, or completely overshadows another.  This winter is late in coming, and because it follows a period of unnatural heat I’m honestly concerned that spring is going to be a little lackluster.  There’s going to be a lot of damage to plants that started budding early because they were under the mistaken impression that we skipped winter and went straight to spring.  Surprise!  Winter creeped up on them and smashed them in the head with its icy sledge hammer of doom.I could go on to talk about global warming and every other environmental or political hot button.  I won’t.  I’m tired of people turning everything in to some great political debate to show how right they are and how the other side is dumb, or pandering to corporate greed, or whatever else they want to say about the other side.  I’m not saying some things aren’t political issues, I’m only saying that pointing fingers and waving your version of scientific evidence in the face of those you disagree with doesn’t solve anything.  We’ve over politicized every aspect of our lives.  We’re constantly seeking someone to blame rather than fixing the problem.  Yes, it would help on a grade scale if the powers that be would stop butting heads and focus on fixing the problems at hand, but we all know that isn’t going to happen.  So instead of touting our clever bumper stickers on the back of our cars, wouldn’t it be better if we just fixed our little corner of the world?  The road to change begins at home.  All that wasted effort telling the other guy just how dumb they are could have been going in to something productive, like making our tiny corner of the world a little brighter.  Be happy.  Enjoy life.  That’ll show them all.That’s what’s going through my mind as I sit and stare out at this cold gray day.