I'm beginning to worry about you, summer.

Click to embiggen, it's worth it!

Visitors frequently question the sanity of Chicago residents when they are exposed to our winters. Hell, WE question our sanity when exposed to our winters? What rational person would stay in a location that treated them so brutally? It's almost as if Chicago wants to push us all to the brink of, and then beyond, our physical limits to ensure our fealty.

So why the hell would we put up with this?

Chicago summers are as glorious and wonderful as our winters are vicious and evil.

I've lived in many parts of the country over the years, in different climates, and have yet to encounter a summer like Chicago offers. Sure, we have a few stifling hot days, but for the most part those few months make it totally worth toughing it through the other ten months of ice and freeze and wind and misery.

A few years ago, though, the unthinkable happened. Summer never came. Instead we experienced a relapse of fall and our days were darker, drearier and chillier. Much rainier too. "What happened?!" we asked, "Did the pacific northwest move here and not tell us?!" Luckily the following year saw the return of the summer we all dream of, and that dark period faded in our memories. Did it really happen?

Well, here we are on June 15 and summer has yet to arrive. We've had a few days here and there of lovely weather but for the most part it's been darker, drearier, chillier and MUCH rainier. Suddenly "the summer that never happened" is fresh in everyone's mind again. Is summer not happening again? We experienced an unusual cruel winter and I know everyone in my personal circle was depending on the perfect weather Chicago summers bring to validate our suffering.

Every winter I wonder if it will be my last, if Chicago will finally break me and send me running from its ridiculous freeze. And evey winter it's the dream of our summer that gets me through. Honestly, though, I don't think I can handle it if it turns out our beautiful summers are a variable not to be depended on.