When we moved here from SoCal just before my senior year in high school, I swore I was going to lock myself in my room when the temp dipped below 50° and not come out again until it was over 50° again. Of course, that didn't fly.
Now I'm in my 60s and have long since learned to cope with Chicago winters. I don't care for down, so the coat I made last year weighs 11 pounds. Nothin' gets through that. Thinsulate gloves.......shearling-lined mittens for clearing snow off the car when it's this cold. UGGs. The fabulous faux fur Brookstone earmuffs I got as a gift a few years ago with a wool knit hat to cover the head. Can't just hibernate until April. We dress for it and carry on.
The way people live now, it isn't as if most of us need to be out trudging through this weather for long periods of time. It's mostly just walking between the car and a warm building. Even sitting in the car waiting for it to warm up, it's out of the wind and not that horrible on all but the very coldest days. And cars are heated.......even heated seats, to make it more bearable. When clearing driveways and sidewalks, most people have snow blowers that make the job much faster than shoveling and they can stop and go inside for awhile if need be. Really, it's the people who have to work out in the elements that have it hard, and I'll guarantee, they have their own ways of coping.
As I said, life doesn't stop just because it's cold outside. We learn to deal with it. And appreciate warm weather that much more when it comes around.
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