Staring out my office window, I feel underwhelmed, dispirited, thoughts of recent holiday bliss dissolving into mist. The grey wintry drizzle, encased in a murky fog, is appropriate. My wishes for a Christmas snow have passed, and while a tobogganing run would still be welcomed, I’m no longer keen on shoveling my way through spring. I find it curious how weather manages to dampen a weakened spirit, how winter doldrums ambush the weary, establishing a sense of helplessness, with no respite in sight. To reinforce the inevitable, if you believe in prognosticators, tomorrow, in my corner of the world, a deep freeze sets in. Likely until the ides of March.
Experiencing lows after a festive time is to be expected, whether it’s post vacation, or otherwise, but not necessarily unwarranted. We all celebrate differently, but we share a common human trait, one essential to achieving life’s balance.
To appreciate the peaks, we must endure the valleys.
Not to suggest that merely returning to work after a pleasurable hiatus qualifies as a ‘valley’, it should not, but it does serve to illuminate the difference between need and want.
Few of us live a lavish lifestyle. All play and no work. Parties must end sometime. And there is a reason for that.
We earn our joy. Each of us. To appreciate true happiness, we endure sorrow. To revel in joy, laughter, wonder, we shed tears. To reap, we must sow.
I keep Christmas well.
And though I strive to maintain the spirit beyond the month, it’s not always possible. Life gets in the way. Reality overshadows intent. Sometimes by choice, sometimes by fate, but somewhere along the way, the road is abandoned.
But redemption lies within us. It is a conscious decision.
With the beginning of the New Year, all is possible. Keeping in mind that the concept of ‘time’ is a human construct, an illusion aimed at unifying the human experience and measuring our existence, each New Year begins when you decide it does. January 1st is but one arbitrary piece of a 365-day puzzle, each 24-hour period interchangeable and substitutable. New beginnings are not constrained by calendars or societal norms.
Choose your own moment.
As I peer outside, my attention is drawn to the first flakes of snow, overtaking the drizzle, establishing the return of winter’s dominance. The deep freeze has arrived.
I ask myself an obvious question.
Why not take advantage of today? Why languish, awaiting the next peak, the next vacation, or worse yet, the arrival of spring? Bleak weather and distant respites cannot impede spirit. Not unless we allow them to.
Do we embrace opportunity, or acquiesce?
Do we engage, or submit?
The answer lies within.
Until next time,
Yes the tough philosophical questions. I loathe winter and if not for my job, I would never leave my house. So I do use the crappy weather as an excuse to sit at my computer all day and write/social media – but my curtains are closed so as I am not subjected to the horror outside my window 🙂
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We’ve actually been quite lucky so far. I only want snow during Christmas, after that, other than a couple of a couple tobogganing runs, I’m good. Cheers Theresa, and thanks for the re-shares!
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Since I do not live in the Great White North, I cannot speak about constant snow bombardment. However, growing up on the East coast, I have seen & been an unwilling participant in many arctic events. I have also lived in AZ & Southern CA which is the opposite of snowblind. Mike, I feel your pain & after the hell of this summer where I was certain we were hurtling toward the sun, I wish for a place that does not exist on this planet. I would like to live in a constant state of 72F or 22.222C.
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Well you know where to move to Susan!
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Yes, this is true!
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Absolutely!
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Although I complain, I like the 4 seasons, even winter, to a degree. We’re only 45 minutes away from Buffalo by car, yet they seem to get hammered by snow more than us. But there’s something about living in a climate that can hit the 90’s in the summer and the low teens in winter. We’ve been lucky snow-wise so far, but it’s coming! I need to put the snow tires on the Cordoba.
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LOL.Yes, the snow tires didn’t even help the behemoth! Funny you mentioned Buffalo. I had a job offer & almost moved there this past summer. The irony of all this is I am writing my response to you in the middle of a snowstorm, lol. I think I am going to move to the Pacific Northwest.Give that a whirl!
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Cold and sunny here today. Not bad for Jan 7th!
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I am enjoying the snowfall here! I love it.
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Well the one thing that keeps me so close to Niagara Falls is the weather – it’s not as bad as up northern Canada. We have no Snow and this little cold snap (if you can call it that after last years polar vortex) will be gone again next week. So far we are having a Great Un-Canadian Winter … thank you Global Warming. It;s going from 18 up to 41
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heck, the overnight low for central Florida tomorrow is 42, so we’re doing so bad!
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I know the feeling. And I do understand the need to feel the sadness to appreciate the happiness and the like but it doesn’t stop me from wishing it weren’t that way.
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Yes, it would be nice not to have to endure the bad moments, but I guess that’s what makes the special moments that much more special. It’s just hoping the good times out number the bad by a HUGE margin. Cheers Anne!
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And that we can work on.. I think 😊 Ciao.
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Beautifully written Mike. 🙂 Like all seasons that pass a gloomy mood will too.
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Thanks Lorenza. It usually only takes me a couple of weeks to adjust, right after we set the clocks back in early November (then it starts getting dark before 5pm), after that, I’m ready for winter. It’s usually only late February into March, if we keep getting snow, it starts to feel like spring’s never coming. Cheers and thanks for the kind words!
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Just something similar I keep feeling from the desk of my office. Your post hit home. Thanks for this.
Did you find some answers? I wish you have a wonderful 2017 filled with adventures and fun. 🙂 See you…
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Cheers, thank you! Truthfully, I enjoy winter storms, as long as they fall on days I don’t have to go anywhere (which is entirely rare). This year has been sparse for snow, so far, but a lot of winter ahead. And yes, I knew my answer going into writing the post, I just hope I stick to my guns. I’m back to working on a longer piece of fiction, along with the Blog. Time will tell.
Cheers, and thanks so much for commenting. Best of luck to you in ’17 as well!
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Wow… work of fiction ha… All the best dear 🙂 Have fun and thanks much for the best wishes.
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My pleasure!
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Great post, Mike.
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Thanks Brian!
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Winter in Arizona is different. I have to wear a hoodie when I go outside now.
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Lucky you! My summer wear is in hibernation until mid March when we head south. Not much snow yet, but a long winter still ahead!
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You have amazing writing skills Mike, loved this post!
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Btw can I ask you a question? From where do you pick the images? Is it wrong if you pick them directly from google images or there is a problem with copyright and all that stuff? I’m new in this world and I have recently been pretty off, thanks<3
PS. You don't have to tell me exactly where do you take those images, I know it's kinda private, I just wanna know if it's okey picking them from wherever.
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The image thing is a bit tricky. When I first began my Blog I was simply pulling images from Google or Yahoo and using them at whim. Then I read a few articles about people being sued by copyright owners of pictures. Apparently, there are programs that scan the web and can locate people using photos without permission. I try to use my own images, but I still often look to the web. Normally I’ll augment a photo (crop, re-color, distort) to some extent before posting it. The thing to stay away from are professional photographers images (landscapes, portraits, etc.). Stock images, although not necessarily ‘okay’ to use, are safer. There’ probably a lot more info out there, if you’re interested. Good luck!
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Oh thank you so so much for the information Mike, it really helped me to clear up my mind. I will definetely consider your advices, they are really useful. Thanks again and good luck too! You have such a great blog:)
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Cheers, looking forward to your future posts!
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Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it, not my usual stuff, but a new year, new beginnings. Cheers and thanks for visiting!
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For you and blueberry moonsite … I use pixby all free domain images
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Thanks Theresa! ❤
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Thanks Theresa!
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I used to love winter but as I get older I find myself hating the cold weather. Snow is forecast later this week but that is only fun for a couple of days before it becomes boring and tedious.
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We’ve had it easy thus far, only one significant snow fall before Christmas, but we’re getting some today. I don’t mind shovelling leading up to Christmas and New years, but not so much after that. Still a full two months of winter ahead! Cheers!
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Good morale booster and lovely pic. Luckily in this part of England we have so far been spared snow. The seasons seem to change more quickly as I grow older and I’m looking forward to Spring and meanwhile taking Vitamin D to compensate for lack of sunshine.
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Thanks Glenn! We’ve also had very little snow thus far, although still a lot of winter ahead. Once Christmas has passed, I’m pretty much waiting on Spring. Can’t complain too much though, we had a few near record breaking warm days last week. Cheers, and thanks for commenting!
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Maybe it’s old-fashioned of me, but I tend to see Winter as a time of isolation and being buffered from the intrusion of the rest of the world…Sure, I can’t get out, but then THEY can’t get IN, either!
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I love a good snow storm, I have fond memories of some of the major storms we’ve had over the years. Just not so much fun if you have to navigate your way into work during one. I agree, there is a romantic aspect of being holed up in front of a fireplace during a huge storm. Your privacy is ensured, no pop-ins! Cheers, thanks so much for visiting!
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