By the standards of July, yesterday in Amsterdam was cold. No one was wearing shorts.
By the standards of February, yesterday was warm. Coats were open.
Is the weather the most boring of subjects? Or is that reserved for when people redo their kitchens?
Still, what a difference a few degrees makes. How fluffy the world gets under the promise of a spring sun, everyone out, waking, enjoying.
Today cities in Ukraine are being shelled, as was Alepho. This is not even the beginning of a long and disasterous siege.
It will be a challenge, months from now, tens of thousands of murdered civilians from now, to stay tuned into Ukraine. We tune out long slogs and the frustration of powerlessness, just as we tuned out Syria.
Of course, the climate of our attention is ours to choose. That’s one pleasure freedom allows.