Washington, Part II--People/Weather

Indiana isn't a very big state.  Climatically, if you drive north, it will be colder; south will be slightly warmer, with the magical line being the I-70 "corridor".  (I live probably 1 1/2 miles northwest of the Plainfield exit on I-70.)  It is part of the temperate Midwest.  Cold in winter; hot in summer.  No mountains or huge bodies of water (beyond Lake Michigan on the northwestern border) to affect weather.  Sunrise and sunset are somewhat reasonable in that one can expect the sun to be overhead at noon, regardless of the time of year.  Sort of.

Since the Pacific Northwest is so much farther north, one would expect the weather to be colder with more snow, etc.  That's not the case.  And during the winter months, the sun never comes up high enough in the sky to burn off ground moisture.  The Pacific Ocean controls part of the climate, and the mountains--on both sides of where my daughter lives--control the rest.  Washington State is a miniature version of universal climate and topography of the world, all within a hundred miles or so.  West of the Cascade Mountains, there is lots and lots of rain during parts of the year, while east of the mountains is a desert.   On the Olympic Peninsulas, there is a rain forest.  To the east, there is a Wild West desert feel.  Washington, you are bi-polar!  You are also beautiful!

On this trip to the area, I noted that it rained every day for the first 12-15 days I was there.  That's normal for November.  People there don't carry umbrellas, generally, nor do they feel that they need raincoats.  It's rarely heavy rain.  They just feel the need to protect their heads from the moisture.  Hoodies are the jackets of choice.  One day, my grandson had a friend come home with him after school.  I was aghast because the young man came in a short-sleeved t-shirt.  When I commented about that, he told me that he didn't need a jacket because it wasn't raining.  (Never mind that it was only 40-something degrees.)  Shortly thereafter, we were greeted by at least eight days of sunshine, which is almost unheard of for that time of year.  We took advantage of every sunny day we could.

Things I noticed about the people of Washington:

1.  Everyone is nice.  As in Canadian Nice.  Store clerks, people on the street, drivers, etc.  Everyone seemed delightful to deal with.

At Pike Place Market ("where they throw the fish"), I was on my own and headed down a steep ramp with my rollator.  (A rollator is a walker on wheels, with a seat in the middle.)  A young man passed me, the turned back to ask if I needed assistance.  He guided the rollator while I held onto the rail and did the ramp.  I really appreciated that.  More than once, when I was using my rollator in public, people have offered assistance--even sometimes when I didn't need it.

Then there was the evening when I was Christmas shopping in a mall with my son-in-law and granddaughter.  We had split up but had arranged for a rendezvous at a Starbucks at the center of the mall.  At one point, I was DONE.  I found some seating near the Starbucks to wait for them.  Starbucks doesn't sell soft drinks, and I don't do coffee.  I plopped down in a chair and asked the young lady in the chair next to me what she was drinking.  When she said, "Diet Coke", I asked where she got it...and off she went to get me one.  She refused my offer of funds and would not hear my protests that she didn't have to do that.  I felt like a homeless person in need of charity, but was happy at the same time.  I was worn out!!

2.  People are passionate about looking after their communities.  Post something on the Facebook site, and you will be met with others who are supportive and empathetic, UNLESS you are complaining about fireworks set off for a Seahawks game.  Suddenly, things get nasty.  You no like the fireworks?  Get over yourself!  It's gonna happen whether you like it or not, no matter what your reasons.  The contrast is striking.

3.  Folks take their dogs with them everywhere.  I would not have noticed this had my daughter not pointed it out to me, but once she did, it became quite obvious.  Interestingly, all of the dogs were so well socialized that they were not a problem out in the real world.

4.  People seemingly can disagree without name-calling.  Here in Indiana, that is a rarity.  Yeah!

5.  I've already mentioned that raincoats and umbrellas are a no-no in the Seattle area.  So how does one be stylish in the rain?  I saw more than one college student wearing very stylish knee-high boots that were made of leather-looking rubber, and many more wearing hiking shoes/boots.  Hoodies are the order of the day.

6.  Cultural diversity is the name of the game!  Where I live in Indiana, one might encounter an African-American or a woman in a hijab once in awhile.  Hispanic neighborhoods are just a couple of miles away.   In suburban Seattle, being full-blooded white is seemingly a minority.   I am delighted that my grandchildren's pals are of differing cultural origins and gender identifications.  Out there, no one seems to notice or care.  Viva la difference!

In spite of the things that separate us, culturally or climatically, people are people.  We all want and need the same things.  My way is no better than yours.  I sleep easier knowing that my family is in good hands in the Pacific Northwest.  It's interesting out there.  Wish we here in the Midwest could offer the same beauty and diversity.  There is nothing quite so thrilling as seeing Mount Rainier rise above the clouds, or noticing that yours might be the only white face in a supermarket.  We have so much to see and learn in this great country.  Hope everyone can take advantage of opportunities like that.