I have recently moved south from New England down to North Carolina. In just a few months, I have already experienced some weather differences that define regional perspectives. Cold and hot temperatures can produce different perspectives, depending on where you live:
- At 60 degrees, folks in Florida turn the heat on. New Englanders plant gardens.
- At 50 degrees, natives in California shiver uncontrollably. People in New England sunbathe.
- At 40 degrees, southerners wear winter coats. New England residents drive with the windows down.
- At 32 degrees, distilled water freezes. The Connecticut River water gets thicker.
- At 20 degrees, panic spreads across southern states, as they seek to find coats, thermal underwear, gloves and hats. Massachusetts people throw on a flannel shirt.
- At 15 degrees, New York landlords finally turn on the heat. Canadians have the last cookout before it turns cold.
- At zero degrees. People in Miami die. Those who live in Alaska finally close the windows.
- At 10 degrees below zero, People in Alberta finally get out their Winter coats.
- At 25 degrees below zero, Girl Scouts in New England are still selling cookies outside.
- At 40 degrees below zero, Washington DC runs out of hot air.
- At 100 below zero, Santa Claus abandons the North Pole, while Canadians are upset their cars won’t start.
- At 273 degrees below zero, which is absolute zero on the Kelvin scale, all atomic motion stops. Canadians ask, “Starting to get cold, eh?”
- At 500 below zero, hell freezes over. All republicans and democrats get along.
Perspective changes everything.