One of my favorite things about living in Kansas is that it has four distinct seasons. I’m not always fond of the extremes (moving into my new house in the middle of January’s ice storm is not memory for which I have much affection) but I appreciate the change every few months.
That brings me to a reader’s call a couple of days ago in which she shared her feelings about a promotional headline in Tuesday’s paper. The promo, “Delightful forecast: Temps this week will be above normal for December,†bothered her because December should be cold, she said, and the higher temperature definitely didn’t delight her.
Her comments made me pause for a minute. How could anyone not enjoy a 64-degree day in December? I thought it was wonderful that I had a chance to scamper around my roof like a spider monkey hanging my Christmas lights and not have to worry about slipping on ice and breaking my neck.
But she was right. Referring to the change that way was a value judgment, something we shouldn’t offer. If we wanted a jaunty headline, there were several other way we could have gone — ways that let you make up your own mind on what it meant.
Now if you’ll excuse me, the wreath hanging on the second floor is crooked and there’s a chance of freezing rain this weekend.
— Michael