Cognitive dissonance is defined as "the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values ." A simple example is when a young child who has always believed in Santa Claus begins to realize that it is impossible for any vehicle to fly around the world in one night and no sleigh is big enough to carry gifts for every child on earth.  They've always known Santa was real, but now they also know his existence is impossible:  cognitive dissonance.  Or, if the child's parents tell him the truth about Santa Claus directly, this will create a different dissonance.  His parents, previously thought of as never wrong, have now admitted to being deceptive (dare I say 'lying') the child's whole life:  cognitive dissonance.

 For me, this winter, has created this same intellectual tension.  I have always loved winter.  Perhaps it's because I was born on the first full day of winter, 1961, but I begin looking forward to the new winter  right around the first day of spring.  I have skied cross country since I was 16. Now my 13 year old skis with me in some of Maine's most beautiful woods. Winter is wonderful.

 The 4:00 January sunsets bring my family and me into our house early in winter evenings. The curtains are closed, it's dark outside, and the outside world ceases to exist.  The more snow, ice and cold the better!  After all, my wife and I are teachers, so our jobs never require us to drive in the stuff.  When our schools call a snow day, we stay under the blankets a bit longer, enjoy a second cup of coffee together and linger over breakfast:  Winter is cozy.

And winter  2015 has had plenty of snow, ice, and cold.  After a mild December, we had a seemingly endless string of snowstorms; at least two declared to be blizzards.  In Maine we had the longest uninterrupted stretch in which the temperature stayed below freezing in recorded history.  I should have loved it, but...

This weather has wreaked havoc on our schedule.  We have rescheduled more than half of our shows.  Fortunately, none of these ended in cancellations.  Since we do most of our programs are in institutions: hospitals, nursing homes, jails, they are easy to reschedule.  But it seems like I've been changing our calendars constantly.  Just today, the local nursing home called me to reschedule tomorrow's show due to a flu outbreak.  And when is flu season?  Winter. 

Then there's the leak in Rose's ceiling due to the ice dam in the roof.  There's the absolute mess in my teacher plan book due to the seven snow days we had between Christmas break and February break.  My grade book is even worse due to the sickness that has been passed around and around my class for two months.  There's never this level of poor attendance in the fall semester.  Only winter.

So here I am, an hour before the official end of winter, conflicted.  Not unlike the classic cartoon scenario, I feel like I have Jack Frost on one shoulder whispering, "skiing, fires in the fireplace, cozy evenings and wooly sweaters."  Simultaneously, Mr. Heat-Miser whispers," Ice dams, leaky roofs,  snotty nosed kids, uncertain schedules."  Cognitive dissonance.

 Tomorrow is the first full day of spring; the worst of all seasons:  mud season, black fly season, allergy season, yard work season... it's hideous.  At least the opening day of baseball season is right around the corner.  I know spring is the worst of seasons, but the Braves do have a lot of talented young players on the roster. Maybe this spring won't be so bad after all. 

Cognitive dissonance.