Change, not just for moving forward

Ever been to U.S. Northeast? The weather comes at you sideways. I’m not trying to be deep here. I mean, quite literally, the weather – whether it be rain, snow, sleet, hail – hits you in the soft spot like some kind of flanking maneuver. During a Nor’easter, you’ll find people walking the streets with umbrellas open and parallel to the ground – shielding not their heads but their belly, their left side, their right. Because, mind you, the precipitation is in attack mode and it is sneaky. It changes direction without warning and mere mortals are forced to walk folk-dance style with the umbrella to the right, swing it to the left, spin around and shuffle backwards, lean into the wind, twist to the side. Concentrating on the final destination is difficult enough, let alone getting there calm and dry.

It’s enough to make you hate the weather or love the weather or harbor conflicted feelings about the weather. It’s enough to make you talk about the weather all day every day.

And that’s what we tend to do in places like New York and Massachusetts, talk about the weather. In Madrid, people say que tal? and keep on walking. Americans say What’s with this weather?! and keep on walking.

In Boston or NYC, you will – without a doubt – have at least one conversation a day that includes something of the following: Crazy weather today, huh? Pretty cold out there! So hot! When is this rain going to leave us alone? And thankfully,  What a beautiful day!  Then we progress into comparisons to yesterday, last season, last year, tomorrow. Perhaps it’s a reflex with us in the Northeast, a conversation crutch. But there’s good reason. The weather, I tell you, is a controlling manipulative friend that we love to hate.

In Madrid, however, it’s always a beautiful day. Always with the sun shining and maybe that one stray cloud happily floating about the blue.

But, it does rain in Madrid every once in a while and this week is proof.

Maybe it’s just me, but Madrileños actually seem excited to be going places in the rain.  Such a day brings smiles and puddle jumping.  There are even shops dedicated solely to the selling of umbrellas.  And Wellington boots! (If you are from England, do not look at the price of wellies in a Madrid shop. Just. don’t. do. it.)

So often we appreciate that which is not so frequent in our lives.  Is this just about variety? That old catch 22. To enjoy something so much that you want more until there is so much that it can no longer be seen.

Of course, we cannot control the weather but it serves a decent example. People in sunny climates love the random rainy day, those living in cloudy weather appreciate a spot of sun – and often we return to our natural weather state more content.

Traditionally, we think of change as that which propels us forward. An agent that takes us from one state of being to another. The transition often implies a point of no return, personal growth that does not revisit its former self.

But, change is more versatile than that. Yes there are those big signposts, like a career change or buying a home or losing a loved one or finding a loved one. But there are also smaller changes that are just as important; slight, subtle shifts that don’t push us forward but preserve our ability to see the joy in those things we want to keep constant.

So Madrid, how about that weather, huh?  Seems like we’ve bypassed autumn altogether this year and are headed straight to winter. Maybe it will snow!