Here in the Midwest the sun has decided to pack things up and head south a little earlier than normal. It feels very much like winter out there. What’s interesting is that it has been this way for a fairly short time and already people are acting like they are suffering from “seasonal affective disorder.” I don’t know if people suffered from this in the past but suddenly they seem to be suffering from it now. Apparently the cure is to sit on tanning beds or some damn thing.

It’s interesting to be in the Midwest when winter comes around. Chicago winters are notorious for being harsh. The thing is we don’t get nearly as much snow as a place like Buffalo. In fact, Northwest Indiana tends to get a lot more snow dumped on it than Chicago does. Still, Chicagoans act like they live in igloos and have to use sled-dogs during the winter.

It is also amusing how famous Chicago is for its winters. I have actually spoken to people who live in warmer climates and they are shocked when I tell them we have beaches here. They seem to gasp and wonder how anyone would want to swim amongst ice-flows and if the penguins get in the way. Not long ago I moved into a nice one-bedroom apartment and I did so during the hottest days of this past summer. I am betting there were a lot of people who would have given anything for there to have been a few spits of snow on that day. I know I would have. Despite having lived here most of their lives most Chicagoans seem to have a secondary sport during the winter months and that is complaining about how cold and miserable it is.

As for me, I love winter. I have never been one to walk around with little clothing on during the summer months. I have written about this before. It still stands true today. I enjoy the cooler weather. I don’t mind the fact that the sun is down by five o’clock at night. Everything about fall and winter I just find beautiful.

So, as a courtesy to those of you who may be transplanted into the Chicago area or somewhere equally as cold during these months, I have created some things to keep in mind. These may be ways you can enjoy the months ahead. These are things I like to keep in mind anyway.

At the very least try to think about winter in a way that puts it all into perspective. If you have to choose between the two, I think dying because of the cold has to be better than dying because it’s too hot. What happens when you start burning up? Your skin dries out. You get dizzy. You star to hallucinate if you let it got on long enough. Your lips crack, break and bleed. Your tongue dries out and it starts to swell. Your eyes will dry out too. Your internal temperature continues to rise and you will eventually start to shut down. Your throat dries out and cracks. It’s miserable and painful. If you were to actually get too close to the sun your skin would char and you burst into flames. These are not good things.

If you freeze to death, well, you just need to worry about hypothermia. What do I know about hypothermia? Not much except what I remember about that sick short story they made us read in seventh or eighth grade about that guy walking with his dog in the Yukon who falls through the ice and tries to build a fire but can’t then he dies. It’s really cheery stuff they make you read in those days.

Well, what I recall is that your body kind of slows down. The blood in your extremities starts to pull back to keep the internal organs warm. Yes, there is pain because the nerves in your body are designed to send warnings when they’re dying. However, eventually you just sort of wind down and then fall asleep. Bums die all the time in the cold and they just fall asleep. So, see, winter is much better if you have to choose a way to die that involves extreme temperatures.

So, that’s the worst of it. What about the best? Well, just take a look around in the fall. Look at the colors. The Midwest looks painted in the fall. Some of the colors on the trees are so vivid they almost don’t seem real. Yes, they are a pain to rake and dispose of but really that seems a minor price to pay. Michelangelo lost his eyesight and probably some part of his sanity painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel so really a sore back is a small price to pay when you have that kind of art. Take a walk. That’s what I love to do during this time of year. Take it in the evening as the sun goes down. You can probably smell things burning, whether leaves or someone stoking something in a fireplace. That smell always feels like home to me.

Look at the sky. People spend so much time complaining about the cold and the gray parts they forget to even look around when it’s gorgeous. During the day, perhaps just after a snowfall, look up at the sky and check out the colors. During the summer around here the lack of wind prevents the sky from really clearing. The humidity builds and before you know it the sky has a sickly yellowish color. In mid-July the sky is about as blue as old newspaper. However, in the winter, the wind blows, the sky is less dense and the sky turns a crystal blue. It is the kind of blue saved for sailors out on the deepest parts of the ocean. The sun will reflect off of the snow, creating what seems like trillions of tiny diamonds scattered all over the ground.

The sky looks that way during the fall too, if you are so adverse to snow the thought of looking out the window at it makes you nauseous. The sunsets during the fall are more dazzling, I think. It’s like the colors of the sky merge with the colors of the trees or something. Maybe that’s too poetic. I just know it’s gorgeous. The air smells crisp. Nothing wakes me up like a little blast of cold air.

Now, for those of you a little daring you can try this little trick. When it starts to snow heavy take a walk around your neighborhood. I don’t recommend this during an actual blizzard as that can be dangerous. Wait for one of those times when the big flakes are falling.

I strap on my boots and bundle up and go for a walk. Everything is quiet. Most people hole-up inside. Again there is that smell. The snow has a strange muting effect on the traffic and the sounds of the city. It will feel like you have the whole city to yourself. In a way, you probably will.

Enjoy the sweaters. Enjoy bundling up and find a cool jacket that you will actually want to wear. It will make winter much more bearable.

Bryan W. Alaspa’s new novel Dust is now available for sale at his website www.bryanalaspa.com and www.amazon.com.