Why Weather?

Everybody loves to talk about the weather.  I personally have been a weather enthusiast since the 4th grade when I was assigned to be the weather reporter for my class.  When people have nothing to talk about, they talk about the weather.  It's too hot, too cold, too snowy, too dry, too wet, too windy, not windy enough, etc.

But why do we talk about the weather so much?  We talk about the weather so much for a few reasons.  The first is that in this era of technology, heat, air conditioning and the modern luxuries of the 21st century, we still like to be reminded that there is still a natural environment; something that cannot be controlled.  When elements are beyond our control it is easier to watch and admire, precisely for the reason that we have no control over it and more importantly, we usually have no stake in it.

Mets fans, myself included, get depressed when the Mets miss out on the playoffs year after year.  When watching the awe of a hurricane from afar, a blizzard from indoors or a tornado on TV, there is no lingering disappointment if the blizzard falls apart, the tornado fails to touch down or if the hurricane goes out to see.

In this chaotic world of terrorism, financial crisis, genocide and political turmoil, the inherently neutral phenomenon of weather is a welcome reprieve from the inundation of negative stories that flood our day.  Even though weather causes thousands, if not millions of deaths worldwide each year, studying this last untamed natural frontier is awe-inspiring.

The way in which the Gulf Stream affects the weather in Greenland and the Pacific Ocean temperatures affect the drought in Africa is amazing.  I am not a religious man, but the small part of me which clings on to some bastion of spirituality sustains itself from the existence of the intricate and well oiled machines of weather and life.  The interconnection between the weather and life cannot be overstated.  We need the rain, we need the sun and we get both.  If it was too windy, like it is on other planets, we would be blown off the surface of the earth, but with no wind there would be no rain.

The crash of the financial markets inspired me to write this article.  I cannot click on CNN or any other news websites without feeling a pit in my stomach, reading about the billions of dollars ordinary Americans lost today.  When I click on ESPN.com, I see that Reyes is injured again.  Where do I go for news that will neither upset me or elate me?

The weather channel.  I pop it on and watch the meteorologist talk about the tornadoes in Kansas.  Try it.  Even better, when there is a thunderstorm approaching, walk outside and watch it come in.  See the dark clouds move in, the wind pick up, the thunder increase and the lightning crackle.  There is nothing man-made that can rival the power and the tranquility of an approaching storm.

This is why people talk about the weather.

Let's hear what your favorite weather event is, comment or take the poll on the right.