Life Begins Anew

"People ask me what I do in winter. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."-Rogers Hornsby

There are lots of reasons one wouldn't choose to live in the Northeast, or near the coast. The rising cost of living can rapidly outstrip one's ability to pay for it...it's too busy in the summer, too dead in the winter...and if we don't do something about global warming pretty soon, then we're all going to be under water in a few short decades anyway. Why bother?

Well, these are the days when I remember why I make the sacrifice. It's a beautiful day here, about 55 degrees and sunny, so I made the short (<1 mile) jaunt from my house to the beach this morning. I'm so glad I did, I feel rejuvenated, like Rip Van Winkle must have after his long nap. I was greeted by lots of smiling people with romping dogs, bursting at the seams to be out in the ocean air after being cooped up for so long. A pair of brave mockingbirds which followed me along the beach path as I reacquainted myself with what it was like to climb over rocks, sit on the craggy beach, and smell the salt air that's made it's way into my bloodstream. It's spring, and life begins again.

That is, in part, I believe why we New Englanders are so fond of our Boston Red Sox. It isn't just about the game, although that's important too. It's that indescribable feeling of renewal that washes over us everytime the snow starts to melt a little and we venture out of our previously battoned-down bungalows and capes for the first time after a long winter. Opening Day makes it official: If the Red Sox are playing, it must be spring, and that means that winter is finally over!