Winter

I always thought as I got older I would become less enthusiastic about winter.  I didn’t expect it to happen so fast.  I will list my grievances.

Cold:  Cold means a lot of things.  It means bundling up; layers of clothing, warm socks, boots, heavy jackets, hats, and gloves.  As a kid I hated how long it took to get ready to go outside in winter; now I hate it much more.  I hate it because it takes me so much longer to get my socks on, zip my jacket, and pull my gloves on.  I haven’t laced up shoes or boots in what feels like forever.  I made it through summer and fall with a pair of Crocs, and now I’m into a pair of Merrell slip-ons. 

I encounter an interesting dilemma in the winter; wear mittens or gloves and lose hand function to the bulky layers of fabric, or don’t and lose hand function to the cold.  I won’t go into the hassle of getting the mittens on my hands; it involves teeth.

Have you ever experienced slurred speech or stiff muscles in the cold?  Muscles don’t work as well when they are cold.  My hands stop working almost entirely.  Let me explain what I mean.  You know the debit card machine at the grocery store?  Imagine having trouble gripping your card enough to swipe without causing a “read error”.  That doesn’t take much strength.  And of course grocery stores are always cold. 

Snow:  In itself snow isn’t so bad, in fact it can help make cold temperatures more tolerable.  But then a layer of snow means, at the very least walking on uneven ground.  This is another challenge I wouldn’t have seen coming.

Ice:  I’m fucking terrified of ice.  Okay I’m not really, but I should be.  I remember the days when I looked at an icy driveway as fun; getting a full head of steam in the garage to go sliding across the ice “risky business” style.  I should be terrified because there is a good chance I could fall, and slam my elbow, knee, hip, wrist, or head on the ice.  Sadly I’m scared more that someone will see me fall, or catch me floundering on my hands and knees, and “overreact”.  I really don’t want that kind of attention.

I am always thinking about the places I go; the potential hazards I will face.  Winter adds yet another layer of concern.  All of this means I get out less in winter; not what I need.  

I very much understand why older folks move south for the winter.  It’s a matter of personal safety.