I am on year three of this retirement journey, finding out
what I do and don’t like to do. Then along came a real WINTER in year
three. I know it can’t be just me
thinking that this winter was a long hard one! Well maybe I am a bit of a light
weight because I’m a native Californian who has no idea what a really bad
winter feels like. (Grin) But I’ve been told by long term residents that I
hadn’t before experienced a real winter here in retirement land. I just know that we were indoors a lot, and so
grumpier and moodier…. and as I felt the biting cold while listening to the
howling winds blow across the empty fields behind me, I was sedated into a form
of winter hibernation. Well that’s how
it felt to me (Grin). I know in the
depths of winter (Ok, Ok maybe a little dramatic), I found myself wanting to sleep more, eat more
and curl up by the fire. And for the first time I had many days where I felt
slightly depressed. I found that it was
hard to get out of bed (which wasn’t a bad thing really after so many years of
hopping out of bed at 4:30 am). I thought hmm, good blog topic, taking a look
at how the sun and winter really impact us, so off to the experts I went.
The experts had a lot of detailed information, very clinical
and sterile explanations, such as telling us our bodies are evolutionarily old,
and our bodies remember how weather dictated our behavior. People hunkered
around the fire, repairing tools, telling stories, packing our bodies close and
sleeping long. In today’s society we act
as if it is always summer, demanding high productivity at work and home. The
experts tell us that our
bodies require cycles of activity and rest—daily, annually. When days
are long, our metabolisms and energy levels amp up. In winter, we produce
hormones that make us sleepy, giving us time to restore body, mind and soul. And there’s nothing wrong with that
cycle—except that we work against it, forcing ourselves to operate at summer
levels even in winter. No wonder so many people feel depressed at this time of
year! Hmm, interesting and probably true, but yawn, it is sort of boring stuff
wouldn’t you say?
They talked about SAD, which they say many people actually
suffer from. It’s seasonal affective disorder.
I know that seems hard to believe if you live in California, unlike
others who go for months on end dealing with blizzards, snow and seriously cold
weather. I am a native Californian, I was born and raised in Oceanside, the
coldest we got during the day was maybe 67 and it would drop at night to about
53. That’s pretty cold to me. But let me tell you folks, I found that it was
seriously cold here in the low desert, the constant biting winds go right through you.
Needless to say I was very excited to see the sun and warmer
higher temperature weather. I woke up earlier, hopped out of bed quicker and worked on
cleaning up the patio so I could sit outside and absorb the sun. I felt
happier. The experts tell us that sunlight increases serotonin levels which in
turn may make you happier.
What I noticed immediately was a much needed difference in
the people of the community. (Oh come on, you know everyone has been testy, and
I use that term loosely, since the elections and some are still not talking to
each other). The first thing you will
notice is they seem to be smiling more. I am convinced it’s the longer days
allowing us to soak up more sunshine, making us float through the day more
energized and optimistic. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it). And don’t you think the social interactions
are easier when the weather is warmer? I
mean things like backyard barbecues, pool parties, picnics, al fresco dinner
parties, etc. Summer offers plenty of
opportunities for socializing and after all we humans are social creatures and
mixing with friends, family and even strangers makes us feel part of something
larger than ourselves, which is fulfilling, or so the experts say. The pleasant weather and relaxed vibe help
bring people out of isolation and gives us the chance to interact and connect. Like our Music
Under the stars and Friday night wine and cheese gatherings on the Veranda,
Charity week, and just wanting to interact with each other.
Ok,
Ok I know I seemed to have just skipped over spring and moved right into
summer. I am taking the lead from my garden, it too is confused as all the
plants that normally don’t come back until summer are sprouting leaves and some
are even blooming, so it’s not my fault, and the experts say spring is going by
in a flash this year so who am I to argue with the experts.
So
since I am in summer mode, here are some funny things that popped into my head
that I would love to do for my summer bucket list. I have one sister who would be game, where
the other would say you’re weird. #1 - Buy bird seed and ask the clerk how long
will it take for the birds to grow. #2-Throw a small ball into a group and
yell get your own ball Pokémon. #3 - When the money comes out of the ATM scream
I won! I won! I won! #4 - Text I hid the body to a random number. #5 - Finish
all my sentences with “in accordance to prophecy.” Why? I
have no idea, but it sounds like fun! Hey, I was normal once, it was the worst
two minutes of my life. (Grin) You will notice I used the # sign as meaning a
number even though it has now been hijacked as Hash Tag blah blah.
So in
conclusion, it is this blogger’s opinion that summertime is about taking time
to smell the roses, and giving yourself license to indulge a little without
guilt. It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a glass of wine….hair gets lighter, skin
gets darker, water gets warmer, drinks get colder, music gets warmer, nights
get longer, it just gets better because it’s summertime. I think the feeling may be a
leftover from childhood, you know like the school’s out syndrome, where we think of summer as
a break from routine and responsibilities, and we are outdoors more. To me
there is nothing more memorable than a summer smell. A scent will come along
unexpectedly, momentary and fleeting, and yet it will conjure up a childhood memory
of a long-ago summer at the beach.
Its my belief we just feel calmer and more relaxed being in nature, for me strolling along
the beach or just inhaling the aroma of flowers in bloom makes me feel less
stressed and more serene (I’m sure that’s also the hippie in me). And remember
the secret to having a beach body: #1 - Have a body. #2 - Go to the beach. Da
Dum Dum! And I say the first person that
complains this summer that it’s too hot…….well should have some punishment
that’s painful….and on that note, “If we could see the miracle of a single
flower clearly, our whole life would change.” Buddha.
I thank you again for taking this retirement journey with me, or as I
refer to it, “my longest coffee break."
I'm just sayin’…
