Being from Texas, I am more than familiar with the saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change”. Like everything in Texas, the weather is big, and Texans take pride in knowing that we have the most extreme weather. However this idea that has been so thoroughly ingrained in our minds only proves how uncultured we are in terms of “roughing the weather”.
To the person who first said this, all I have to say is, have you ever been to Oklahoma?! THIS WEATHER IS SO BIPOLAR. Texas may be the hottest and driest, but Oklahoma takes the cake in wind and rain. And even though Oklahoma definitely isn’t the coldest place in the world, waking up to 16 degree, windy weather is not something I am ok with on a Sunday morning. Or any morning. This drastic change from Texas-like weather to below freezing temps and hurricane force winds has been more than a new experience me.
As the nerd I am, I have always enjoyed being up to date on the news, including the weather. I can tell you about high and low pressure systems, cold fronts, and especially the Jet Stream. My “vast” knowledge of meteorology included knowing that the Jet Stream passes directly through Oklahoma, meaning that nearly every weather system will affect the state in some way. I also was very aware that last year was a strong El Nino year. To my young mind, this meant a lot of rain, and a lot of snow. Not that I would actually know what snow is, because I’m from Texas, but you can say that I came into college expecting a White Christmas. However, if you’ve looked outside recently you would know that that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Have you seen any snow lately? Because I haven’t. I’m not bitter, though. I just wanted to get a week off of school to have snowball fights, but it’s really no big deal. To my embarrassment, when I told one of my new friends about how excited I was for there to be snow this year, she replied “You really think that’s what Oklahoma weather is like? Who told you that?”. Of course I lied, and have since only confided in my *Texan* friends about my feelings toward the weather.
These feelings of my excitement for the cold, snowy weather I’ve never fully experienced have gone away very quickly though. Ever since that 16 degree Sunday morning last January, the illusion that Oklahoma weather is always snowy or stormy has been lifted from my eyes. The only thing constant about the weather here is the wind. I’ve heard, “Oklahoma, where the wind blows sweeping down the plains”, not only before my time here at OBU, but even on my first night on campus when cheerleaders in my hall decided to perform their rather patriotic routine to the state song. If I’ve learned anything from this temperamental weather, it’s that you should always expect and accept change. Without the realization that one, I am not a meteorologist, and two, the weather doesn’t ask for my opinion before doing its thing, I would and never be able to get past it and rejoice in the day our Lord has made. In the grand scheme of things, weather is nothing compared to the suffering we face in this world. But if I can do one thing to make my time more enjoyable, I have to suck it up, brace for impact as I open the doors from my dorm to the outside, and be glad that the weather always keeps me on my toes. And let’s be honest, at least it’s not that crazy Texas weather! Change is inevitable, so if we realize that we will never escape it, and choice to enjoy it, our days will be a lot brighter. Even if it does snow.
