winter is on its way.

i am already missing summer because now it is dark earlier (about six instead of nine) and something else, fires.

i am sitting here right now breathing in disgusting smoke from house fires. add to that, it is so cold now it is as if a button was pushed. without the fires, the air would be crisp. but the whole experience of an upcoming, then a full blown winter is not something i am looking forward to.

when i was in my mid to late teens i remember dreading this time of year. there were some cruel, dangerous people who used to live in my soon to be old neighbourhood. winter time only supplemented to the increased tension of walking around that area at night. the aura was horrible, it was and still is sad thinking about it.

what made life worse was what was going on in the world around us. the war on terrorism then other events. there was so much death and destruction. bombs were being dropped over baghdad, anti-aircraft fire feebly shooting upwards to take down what i imagine were united states airforce stealth bombers. princess anne died. the space shutle colombia dis-integrated on re-entry to earth. it had been only two, three years after 9/11. the united states amd the rest of the world was going through, hands down, the worst presidency in presidential history.

we were as a family receiving all of this traumatising news in our own home. it got so bad the digital televison was taken away, disconnected.

with this winter coming on, those memories of winter 2002 and winter 2003 come flooding back. what a blight on history and my life wasted.

for those in this part of the world, enjoy the rest of the, i guess, summer like days while you can! if you dislike winter like me right now, i feel your pain!