Winter is coming. The dread I feel is mixed with feelings of inadequacy. Once upon a time going through winter meant you lived in the prosperous, progressive North. It was a small price to pay to have a job that didn't involve a cotton gin, mostly excellent schools, adequate roads and decent Italian food. In contrast, the South was a frightening place talked about in history books - they actually owned human beings and had to have the shit kicked out of them to see the error of their ways. The South was shown on the nightly news as being lethal if you were black, brown, Jewish, Catholic, or a "Commie" - which is impossible to disprove to a group of fucked up Good ol' Boys. Now living in the Industrial North (or the Rust Belt as it is currently known) just means you are either unwilling or unable to leave.* If you could, you would certainly make your living in the Go-Go South (I include the Southwest for brevity) or the misty moors of the Pacific Northwest. Making your living in the eastern Midwest now means opening a goddamn cupcake business, making ballon bouquets or doing body work.
I have never liked winter but now it's like a punch in the gut. I did a gig in central Texas for almost ten years. TX has its problems but it's never really cold. During that time my blood got thin, country music became popular everywhere and and the industrial North became a wheezing fat guy. The world has changed dramatically since I was a young and that's OK -it does and it should-but winter still sucks hind tit. There I said it. I feel like I'm being punished for something. What the fuck did I do?
*The exception being NYC
