Almost every person that I have come across claims spring to be among their favorite seasons. I must be unlike everyone else, because every time spring comes up on the calendar, I find myself struggling against the role of a pessimist.
My first issue with spring is the unpredictability of the weather. I love the weather itself, rain or shine, but both rain and sun in the same day is a combination that I do not care for. The reason why I cannot stand the always-changing weather is that, because it’s always so different, I find it next to impossible to enjoy my day to its fullest.
For example, when it is pouring down rain in the morning, I obviously dress appropriately in warmer clothes. However, when school gets out that same day and the sun is shining, that makes it difficult to take everything in, because the only thing I can seem to focus on is how hot I am due to the rain-proof clothes I am currently wearing.
Another thing I do not look forward to during spring is tax season. Yes, I do not have to participate in the stressful and time-consuming task of paying taxes, but I am a witness to the stress and short temperament that my parents display during those long days in the middle of April.
Mosquitos are never popular when they make a comeback right before summer. The only things mosquitos bring are diseases and ugly red bites. My siblings and I have dubbed this time of the year “slapping season” due to the fact that we find ourselves constantly slapping each other in order to kill an undetected mosquito.
Despite the more topical causes for my dislike of spring, some other things that contribute are all the unpleasant historical happenings that have taken place during spring, usually in April. When you think about it, April is a month filled with sad events that have occurred throughout history.
The RMS Titanic’s crashing and sinking on the days of April 14 and 15 in 1912 are among the first tragedies that come to mind. When the Titanic sunk, it took with it the absurd number of over a thousand people. Though it brought about stricter laws and requirements for safer ship voyages, it is not a cheery memory in the world’s history.
The very first assassination of a United States president also took place in the month of April. Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while enjoying a play with his wife, Mary, at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865, which is coincidentally the same day the Titanic crashed, only 47 years prior.
April also serves as the birth month for one of the most hated men ever born: Adolf Hitler. Nothing about Hitler was good. Even his birthday on April 20, 1889, is an event that some people frown upon.
Despite all the negative attributes associated with spring, there is one event that I do like about the season: Easter. I enjoy celebrating the Easter holiday, mainly because I get to see family that I do not see regularly. My mother always prepares an extraordinary dinner, so that is also an excitement to look forward to.
My little brother, William, still believes in the Easter bunny, so each year we wake up to baskets of chocolate. The chocolate provides him with energy needed for an egg-hunt that evening. Our one-acre front yard is turned upside-down in a desperate search for the golden egg, for whoever finds the golden egg gets a dollar.
It is also the only time during the year that I will eat an egg. I do not eat eggs because I don’t care for the taste, but since it appears to be the only food item being made in our kitchen around this time of year, I always find myself eating one. Eggs appear to have a different taste during Easter weekend, perhaps because some Christians believe eggs symbolize resurrection, a new life and beginning that is contained within each egg after a chicken lays it.
Even though I find several things wrong with spring, that does not mean that I focus only on the negative aspects of the season. I do find it to be rather difficult to be positive, especially when I get bitten by a mosquito or realize it is one of those bad April dates. However, focusing on the positive under any circumstance is always a good choice.
Despite the many negative characteristics of spring, there is still plenty to be grateful for, such as Easter. Hopefully, as time progresses, I will be able to see spring the way nearly everyone else does, and focus more on the good aspects of the season I detest.
For more columns, read the March 30 article, Words: On the receiving end. For more articles on spring, read the March 7 article, Blossom Trail blooms at sunrise (23 PHOTOS).
