
Why do we talk about the weather so much?
Conversation after conversation seems to be entirely about weather.
It is a required topic to discuss.
The weather takes up about a third of most newscasts.
It is unceasing.
It is interesting.
It is boring.
Why the obsession?
Because it is always changing.
It’s the “in the moment” way of weather that makes it interesting to speak about.
The weather, and as a function of the weather — nature, is always changing, always rejuvenating, always morphing, for the better (or “worse”, though in nature, destruction always brings new life and renewal).
Captain Obvious
I usually put talking about the weather in the same category as pointing out a sign on a building to the other passengers in the car. You know what I’m talking about right? It’s been quiet for a while and a person sees a sign that says “Chicken Bucket” and says “Oh look, a Chicken Bucket.” Completely random, usually something is said to recognize the observation but nothing actually happens.
We’re bored so someone has to say something because we can’t stand the awkwardness, so we talk about the weather almost all the time to break this feeling. I know I’ve brought up the weather to fill up a gap in conversation before.
But it is almost always so BORING. We all KNOW what the weather is, because we are THERE TOGETHER. It’s like pointing out that the tablecloth is yellow to someone who knows that the tablecloth is yellow.
This is a symptom of our unending news cycles and social media feeds. (I still can’t get over that we call it a FEED — like we are cattle going to the feed lot)
The weather can be interesting to speak about at times, particularly its extremes. However, most of the time, we are just pointing out the obvious. We are trying to fill in the silence with drivel — weather-related or not.
Value Silence
First, silence needs to be given far more respect and value in our lives.
Silence forces us to face ourselves and, for some of us, this causes fear. We need to sit in that silence and get close to ourselves because only then can we start to understand what we need and what it is we are meant to do in our time here. Some may call it meditation, but you don’t have to be still to hear the universe. We need to stop distracting ourselves and be more aware of where we are and what we are doing. Social media is the number one distractor (and unending weather conversations don’t help either…).
Second, be more active. I don’t necessarily mean physically (though this is certainly recommended). Do things that you love to do. Stop watching so much television. Go for a walk, read a new book, take a Spanish class, go on a learning holiday, not just a tourist holiday. You can relax at home, don’t go on another holiday where you just sit there doing nothing all day and sit on your phone. You can do that at home. Go somewhere and throw yourself into the culture by meeting locals or taking a class on local cooking or music. DO SOMETHING. Life comes alive when you are active.
Bringing it full circle now — have you EVER SEEN THE WEATHER/NATURE MUTED OR LAZY?
Maybe that’s why we talk about it so much. We unknowingly envy it’s action and movement and secretly admire it’s willingness to go places and do things that we never thought possible. If only we followed its example and led lives full of action and did things and went place we never thought possible.
And talk about the weather a bit less… 🙂
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You can read more of Andrew’s writing by going to his author page or visiting www.rejectedcornerstone.wordpress.com
