Not long ago we sent
an e-mail off to a
friend who is wintering
in a location far to our
south. In the e-mail we wrote:
``The winter doldrums have
officially descended. We are
sick of the snow, not that we
have a lot. We are sick of the
cold, which we certainly do
have.’’ In response we were
told to get ``...more exercise. It
releases happy stuff into your
system...’’ This was followed
by a suggestion to ``Keep up
the exercise. The happy stuff
increases the more you do.
Don’t you just hate it!’’ We
definitely would agree with
the last part of that missive.
We do just hate it! And we
remain completely unconvinced
about the ``happy
stuff.’’ In fact we wrote back:
``We are being to think you
are wrong about exercise
making happy stuff. We think
it just makes tired stuff.’’ Nonetheless,
we continue with our
dratted exercise program as
we must grudgingly admit it
helps greatly with our mobility
issues.
However, we don’t think
exercise alone will solve the
winter doldrums dilemma.
And that is why we suspect so
many people in the northern
climes tend to head to the
southern climes for at least
part of the winter.
And while we suspect it
works well for most people,
there can, nonetheless, be
drawbacks to that solution.
And we tend to think that our
brother and sister-in-law were
able to articulate some of
these drawbacks on a recent
trip they made to Trinidad
and Tobago.
We read about the planned
vacation on Jan. 24 in a Facebook
post which read: ``Leo
and Mary Beth are tired of
the constant grey of Minnesota
skies, the unpredictable
weather _ cold and colder,
and the lack of sea breezes,
so we are off to Trinidad and
Tobago for as long as we can
stay!!’’ On Jan. 27 we received
an e-mail which read: ``Greetings
from Trinidad. After a
mad dash through the Atlanta
airport we arrived here
on a less than half full plane
Monday night.
However, so far our bags
have not arrived although
we have been told that they
should arrive this morning.
At least it is not snowing
here.’’ The not snowing part
sounded good. The missing
bags, however, would not
have been to our liking.
On February 1 we received
word that ``After a fairly
rough ferry ride we have arrived
safely here in Castara
Bay, Tobago.’’ Rough ferry
rides are never our idea of a
good time. And finally on Feb.
6 we received:
``We are leaving Tobago
this afternoon to return
to Trinidad. We have certainly
enjoyed our stay, but I
definitely will not miss driving
on the left hand side of the
winding roads that are barely
wide enough for 1.5 cars (to
say nothing of people, goats,
dogs, and parked cars)...
We return to Minnesota on
Monday via JFK (ugh!). It is to
be hoped that whatever snow
they have had will be cleared
up by then.’’
We too would not be into
driving on the left hand side
of the road, wending our way
on winding roads through
people, goats, dogs and
parked cars.
And then, to add insult
to injury, they did get stuck
at JFK, not because of the
weather but because of mechanical
problems with the
airplane.
And people wonder why
we don’t travel more.
However, there is one more
way, which can be done from
the comfort of one’s home,
in which to fight the winter
doldrums and that would be
simple gloating. No matter
how bad the weather might
be in Cooperstown, there is
always somewhere else where
it is worse.
And this year, that has certainly
been the case. After the
recent snow storm knocked
on the Washington, D.C. area,
we received an e-mail from
our friend Jon Battle, who
lives in Manassas, Virginia,
which read: ``Photo enclosed,
of my predicament...’’ The photo
showed a yardstick stuck
somewhere outside showing
that just under twenty-two
inches of the white stuff had
fallen from the sky.
We wrote back: ``Those of
us in upstate New York would
think you have just had a
goodáold winter storm. It
wouldn’t be anything to write
home about.
However, having said that,
we fully realize that we are
far better equipped to deal
with twenty plus inches of
snow than is your neck of
the woods. But just remember,
it will melt...eventually.
Comforting, isn’t it?’’ To this,
Jon replied: ``Yeah, I figured
it would just prompt a shrug
from Upstaters. In Virginia it’s
the worst thing since Reconstruction.’’
The next day, still in our
best gloating form, we wrote
back to Jon with: ``And now
it appears that more of the
white stuff is on the way.
How could you be so lucky?’’
To this Jon responded with:
``This is, no doubt, divine
retribution for our local depravity
and general naughtiness.’’
to which we replied:
``No doubt!’’ Fortunately, we
can report, since we have
received further communication
from Jon, that he still
seems to be speaking to us
for which we are thankful.
And, of course, we are also
thankful for all the e-mails
which we have received
from far flung places. Not
only does it allow us to stay in
touch with family and friends,
thus helping to counteract
the winter doldrums, but it
has also made writing this
particular column a piece
of cake. And for that we are
indeed pleased as punch.
In closing, we note that
there are many, many quotes
about winter doldrums.
Some point out the bad side
of winter such as ``Winter is
not a season; it’s an occupation,’’
from Sinclair Lewis
and ``Winter lies too long
in country towns; hangs on
until it is stale and shabby, old
and sullen,’’ from Willa Cather.
Others, such as Percy Bysshe
Shelley’s ``If winter comes,
can Spring be far behind?’’ are
more optimistic.
However, we think we are
most taken with a quote from
Albert Camus which reads:
``In the depth of winter, I
finally learned that within me
there lay an invincible summer.
``Thus we can but think
it is really July. At least that is
the line of thinking we have
decided to adopt.
PLEASE NOTE: Comments regarding
this column may be made by mail at 105
Pioneer Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326,
by telephone at 607-547-8124 or by email
at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com.
