It is the 8th December 2019. I’ve never seen my sky look like that.
I recall the 13th December 1984/85. It was a cold very early Lucia* day, the snow was standing at least 1,5 meters or more and the air was completely still.
I remember, that initially I was just discontent and displeased with the early hour (as many or most teenagers probably would be till this day).
Then, suddenly, when I walked together with my classmates/friends literally surrounded by walls of snow, seeing the actual air crystallise* in front of my very own eyes on a very cold and really early morning.
The outdoor torches burning/flickering, like they were gasping for air in the complete darkness and/or simple lack of sun-light in the very early morning.
I remember feeling (and this quite some time ago); or thinking that, this is actually quite beautiful and unique and that it this is nice even-though it is pitch black, cold and extremely early in the morning.
The distinct feeling that I will not experience this moment again, ever in my life. Because grown-ups (that I would have to become at some point in time) do not stay up all night in waiting for the celebration of Lucia (“Luciavaka”) and that I will probably not be doing this again, ever.
Visiting/walking to “Församlingshuset” that morning and celebrating Lucia; no matter how reluctant, sulking, tired or forced I was feeling that particular day, just being another young citizen will always be entrenched and remain one of many of my fond adolescent memories.
Looking out of my window now? What now? Well, the 13th December is five days away, yet it is raining and even if the ambient temperature would drop dramatically and 1500 mm of snow would fall?
I have a hard time accepting that it is still not an accepted fact. I can see it with my own eyes? Where is the cold and the snow? I’ve seen crystal clear ice a half meter thick in the vicinity.
We have managed to affect a system that is billions of years in the making in 200 years or so. That is a fact. I can see that in 30 years or so. From a system’s perspective? I can understand the sentiment from my peers; the system analysts. It can’t be done. Not, on a global scale, there must be other long-term mechanisms at play.
The system is to large, it’s simply not possible to introduce that kind of change on such a short time-scale. The system is to large and complex and it is impossible to introduce dramatic change.
Yet, this is not “normal” weather for the season. It should be locked in the grip of Winter a long time ago. It’s December… It is + 6° and raining in Stockholm right now? But, it should be – 10° or below and snowing hard.
* Technically it is not the “air”, it is the water in the air that turns into ice-crystals, changing aggregate state from liquid into solid. That’s when you exhale and you get ice forming in your nose or your breath will form ice crystals in you eyebrows or eyelashes. That’s, when it is cold outside.
– It’s not that cold and you will go outside right now!