OCTOBER 22, 2008

       I know we all have different opinions of what cold is. Some of us find single-digit temperatures chilly, while other hearty Manitobans wait for the –30 days of winter. But something that always catches my eye is the way people dress.

       I’m not going to generalize and say it’s only teenagers, but (here I go on another rant about those crazy young people, as though I’m 80-years-old) I’m amazed at how careless some people are dressed in the dead of winter.

       Granted, we don’t have snow right now – knock wood – but once you can see your breath outside, it should mean it’s time to button up your coat and stay warm.

       I know in high school it was considered cool to not wear mitts or a hat or even have a winter coat, but now I think it’s downright stupid.

       Since when is it fun to freeze your butt off? Does anybody actually want to have a cold? Who likes being sick?

       I’m one of the people that has the furnace on in September after the double-digit temperature days pass. I like it warm whether I’m inside or outside. Do I feel stupid when it’s +2 in the morning and I’ve got my ears covered, a scarf around my neck and gloves warming my hands? No. Actually, I feel exactly how I just described: warm.

       Last winter I asked a summer-dressed man the reason behind his courage.

       “Ah, this isn’t cold. This is nothing.” But then why are your teeth chattering as you tell me this? The answer was because he wasn’t moving and just standing there talking to me. Oh yes, I’m making him cold. That pesky wind chill had nothing to do with it.

       Hey, I’m surprised how well I typed out this column considering the big Eskimo mitts I’m wearing.