Winter Blues

Hat, gloves, scarf, sweater, tug, zip, wrap, pull. Getting ready to go out is like suiting up for battle. Everything seems harder, everywhere seems farther. Even going downstairs to get the newspaper is painful. You have that extra slice of bread because you need that extra layer, and before you know it even your loose jeans are tight.  Flip flops and spaghetti straps are ancient history. The thought of wearing a bikini frightens you. On top of it, you have a cold. You haven’t seen the sun for 12 consecutive days.

People look ugly and pale. And mean.  Extreme wind has etched the lines and creases deep into your face; the cold sets your new aged look. No amount of chapstick will heal those cracked, bleeding lips. How attractive! You have a nasty cold – again – and this time you don’t even bother with the Kleenex. Why not use your sleeve? You wonder what’s become of you, then  consider moving to L.A.

Welcome to the winter blues. No amount of peppermint hot chocolate, ‘cozy’ winter activities or cutesy mittens can take the sting out of the season. The blues set in right about now. After all the holiday merriment and hoopla over the first snow has died down, you’re still stuck with winter for another three solid months. You can try to embrace it, or hop the next flight to Miami. Winter, I’m convinced, takes years off of life. Sure, a little bitter cold and freezing rain might toughen you up (those West coast softies can’t take it ) but winter might also make you want to slit your wrists, just a little.

Call it SAD or simply the blues, winter has me in a funk for the better part of Jan. and Feb. My will to adventure and explore is thwarted by mother nature.  I’d prefer to snuggle inside a cocoon of blankets and emerge rejuvenated when the sun comes back in this hemisphere. For now, I’ll pretend I don’t live in an icebox. I like to turn up the heat, put on some beachwear and tanning lotion, and dance around to the beach boys. Please, don’t judge. I get cabin fever. I can’t get warm. I’m probably deficient in vitamin D. Perhaps I should invest in a UV lamp.

Other options: sit in the sauna and pretend I’m at club med. Or concoct some tropical beverage and project an ocean view onto the brick wall outside my window.  Did I mention Miami?

This post is written out of spite. It is written with intense longing for brighter days, open-toed shoes, and jackets that don’t make me look fat. It is written in frustration of being sick, being perpetually cold, and feeling gross and ugly. It is written because I haven’t done anything noteworthy in four days because I’ve been home sick with the flu. A winter flu.

But what can I do but let nature take its course? I guess, just like everything else, spring will come in due time.