Opinion

It’s about that time of year again where I convince myself that I can, indeed, grow a magnificent garden such as my grandma has always done There’s only been a couple of summers in my life where I actually accomplished this. Whether it be because the weather is challenging, or I don’t have a yard, or because I put in all the effort to plant everything and then became too busy to manage the plot of land that was clearly going to always be a challenge with weeds growing over because it was a first year till - there’s always been a struggle.

This time of year, I sometimes think of the poem Pippa Passes (1841) by Robert Browning.

INT. SPORTS BAR - DAY

So. Did you remember to set your alarm clocks ahead one hour before you went to sleep Saturday night? Or do you have smart clocks that do it for you? I didn’t reset any of my clocks hoping that some of them would reset automatically. I use my phone as my alarm clock and I knew that would change by itself. I am writing this early Sunday morning, so time will tell when some of our congregation comes to church an hour late.

With the warmer weather, the opportunity to get outdoors more often, and enjoy the spaces that surround us has been more frequent. Likewise, the melting of the snow (what little we did have), has also revealed what we haven’t seen in awhile.

It’s been cold. An engaged audience might ask: How cold was it? A type of punchline: It was so cold the ice was complaining about the temperature! The reality is more mundane. It was so cold they cancelled school. This has happened before. I grew up in Texas, a geography not known for cold temperatures. One winter day was so cold that they cancelled schools. They were concerned the HVAC wasn’t up to the job. No school administrator wants to take in warm bodied children and spit them out blue. It was 29 degrees Fahrenheit.

I recently went on a date with my six-year-old daughter. It was an elegant affair. She wore a gown. I donned a suit. My daughter kept referring to the event as “the ball,” though technically it’s a Father Daughter Dance. Elaborate chandelier, ornate sconces and superfluous fleur-de-lis decorated the country club ballroom. A DJ spun an array of danceable, kid-friendly tunes. Yes, it was mostly Taylor Swift.

Is there anyone out there that hasn’t had difficulties adjusting to the temperature extremes we have been experiencing? Finding enough warm clothes to put on for even a short walk outside when the temperature with the wind chill is in the -40s. And just a few days later we get +50s. And if we are having troubles what about the plants and animals? And, face it, it is too early for 50 degrees is normal.

I recently read about a new museum opening in Brainerd that celebrates all things pop culture. The museum features a variety of rooms that center on various interests, including rooms that have fully functioning gaming consoles from throughout the years, where visitors can actually sit down and enjoy a round of Pac Man, or a round of Oregon Trail on an old green and black screen PC.