I forgot how excited everyone in Massachusetts gets over a mild spring day. All it takes is a tiny bit of sunshine, and everyone is grinning and striking up conversations. Actually, first I forgot how bitterly cold New England is, and how terribly cold that tiny space between my glove and my sleeve can get, and how dispiriting the 4 PM sunsets are.
But on the sunny day, I walked over to a diner near my house, for coffee and writing, and I was amazed at how smiley everyone was. It turned out to be a breakfast-only diner, full of workers eating pancakes and telling each other to enjoy the weather I definitely never forgot about diners, but I worked in a breakfast-only local diner in college, and the smell of this one affected me on a cellular level.
Later on, I walked over to meet my friend, and it was so sunny and great. That’s another thing I forgot about Massachusetts –seeing my college friends on a regular basis and not trying to rush and exchange every single thing that’s happened since our last visit. Everyone we passed was just so cheerful and smiley, and I knew they weren’t all reunited with their friends, so it must be the weather.
Anyway, that’s all for now. I’m going to go outside and smile and strike up chats with strangers, because I guess that’s the way Boston does early spring.
