By Jerry Riley

The past few days have been HOT, but, it got me thinking about how it is the same and how it differs from COLD. Remember, the same people who have been complaining about the heat will soon be complaining about the cold.

Many of us have been staying inside, where it is air conditioned, so we are cool and comfortable. Those same people stay inside during the winter to stay warm and comfortable. Many times being “trapped” inside allows us to work on projects we have been putting off. The advent of the computer and Internet sometimes let us spend our time a little less productively. Well, I did write this column!
After staying inside for hours, I have to get out, no matter summer or winter. During the winter this means dressing for the cold, maybe shoveling off my sidewalks and, occasionally, snow blowing my driveway.
During the summer there is no need for coats, but sometimes for sunscreen.
During the winter often there is snow and ice, making walking or driving more difficult than in the summer. I’ve never had to shovel 3 feet of sunshine off my sidewalk, though. I trade snow blowing for mowing and shoveling for trimming – and, what a revoltin’ development this is!
As I said previously, it is too bad temperature has to be extremely hot, or cold. Maybe this is just a reminder that all our technology, all our scientific knowledge and all our military firepower pales in comparison to the power, not of the force, but of nature.
I still wonder why we feel hot when it is 90 degrees, since normal body temperature is 98.6.

Jerry Riley is an occasional commentator for the News Bulletin. He is a retired telecommunications supervisor.