Skiing,
ice skating, tobogganing or any activity that involves placing myself
in a minus thirty situation for more than thirty seconds is simply
out of the question. Even sitting in front of a crackling fire is
questionable if it involves getting the wood from out of doors.
Physical pursuits as a method of coping with the darkness, cold and
bleakness of winter have long since given way to more emotional
solutions.
As
the days grow shorter my strongly developed sense of denial enables
me to remain in a summer mindset. With the ever decreasing
temperatures, whining becomes the first line of defence. Incessant
and regular it does have a tendency to distance those close to me.
However, isolation is a condition that suits me best during this time
of year.
When
the first flakes of snow fall an overwhelming grief response sets in.
Coping with this malady is initially accomplished with bed covers
drawn over my head and at least three days of calling in 'dead' to
work. When hibernation is no longer an option there is a lateral move
to fear. Fear that the car won't start... fear that an auto accident
will occur... fear that winter will never end.
As
winter conditions become more familiar, anger becomes the saving
emotion of the day. It is primarily directed at drivers who are in
the habit of using my roads and pedestrians who insist on crossing my
streets, (personally I believe that 'Road Rage' should be shared
equally)
As
winter blows through these dark and bleak months I rely on
anticipation to survive. Waiting for the Chinooks to blow through is
sometimes the only positive thing one can focus on. These provide a
joyful reminder that there does exist warmth in some remote quarter
of the globe. The most difficult part of this short respite is its
end. At that point it is necessary to review all the strategies that
have been used to date and fine tune them to the situation at hand.
Through
countless winters I have found that by the time all is working
harmoniously, the white wonder of winter is quickly turning into the
spraying slush of spring. I rejoice in the fact that my emotional
journey through winter is finally at an end. As the icy slush from a
passing car sprays onto my pants and runs into my shoe it serves as a
reminder that new tactics are required as spring creeps out from
under the snow.
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