While Bears Hibernate in Winter; Pennsylvanians Sink Into Depression

The people of Pennsylvania are stable, medium-paced, “everything in moderation” kind of people. They experience four seasons, each moderately overtaking their predecessor. Every season sets the stage for what to expect next, and everyone seems to fade along with them.
Each season greets us with a new perspective. Spring lifts us from the winter blues, as fall tames the wild spirits of summertime. The people of the Keystone state are very balanced. They have a broad out-look on weather changes and know that every three months will bring something new.
As the warm summer air cools and the leaves begin to change color Pennsylvanians begin to slowly sink into their humble winter depression. In the winter months people tend to stay home, eat more and laugh less.
The first rude awakening to winter usually arrives in mid-September to remind everyone of what is coming. Then slowly the leaves change color as they cascade to the ground like an auburn waterfall and the temperature begins its slow decent below zero. A blanket of clouds taints the sky a dreadful shade of gray, sending the old folks down south in flocks.
It all starts with the blistering cold mornings, scraping snow of the windshield of your car, bundling up in multiple layers to keep the frosty air from harassing your skin and dreading walking through snow. The happy-go-lucky warm air is gone, and the giddiness that radiates through summer is hastily put on hold.
After three dreary months brightly colored perennials begin to pop up through the melting remnants of snow, letting everyone know spring is on the way.
Spring cuts through the tension winter leaves behind. The days become longer, the grass grows greener and hormones are thrown into overdrive. People are lighter, happier and fitter. Moods improve all over the state, and everyone seems to spend time outside, breathing in the newly found warmth. But as quickly as the Easter Bunny hopped in, summer rolls through with a thunderous applause.
The sky swirls in shades of violent purple and the electricity in the air tickles your neck as lightening strikes nearby. Summer is reckless, like the storms it accompanies, and Pennsylvanian teens become wild and carefree as they stay awake through the warm summer nights. The freedom of being out of school during summer gives it the reputation of being everyone’s favorite season. But the summer heat can be as brutal as Jack Frost’s breath.
With temperatures reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the sweat on foreheads sends people seeking the cool air pumped through the vents in their houses.
The fading of the seasons into one another reflects in the modest shift in moods as well as the lack of drastic change in Pennsylvania. This is not a state of thrill-seekers, but rather level-headed people who take well to change. Pennsylvania has always been an unwavering state, from the Declaration of Independence, to the Liberty Bell; we lead respectful lives season to season and year to year.