December 29, 2021
The year is winding down, and
even though this tradition we have of celebrating a new beginning at the very
end of December is much cherished, it is, in a way, artificial. But having said
that, I think that we humans must have known what we were doing way back in the
long ago, to set a definite end moment of the current year and create a “starting
over point”, going forward.
I imagine there are a lot of
people in eager anticipation of the end of 2021—good riddance they’ll say—and ready
to blow the horns and shout, come on in, 2022!
That concept—out with the old,
and in with the new—is the very reason that spring is my favorite season. After
the relative stasis of winter, of course, comes the spring. Spring, with it’s
tiny green shoots poking through the snow, gives us the reality of new life
beginning, and a very real sense of “starting over.” When you think about it,
the “new year” really should begin in the springtime.
I need to share with you something
that I’ve thought about long and hard over the last few days. If life were a
movie, it feels, especially lately, as if the movie we would be living would be
Groundhog Day, as opposed to the one that the season of Christmastime tries to
edge us toward—It’s A Wonderful Life.
But I digress.
It has become harder in recent
months for me to keep up a positive attitude. I don’t think I’m alone in this. And that is most unfortunate because now
is when we need a positive attitude more than we have ever needed one to date.
Therefore, desiring to be proactive, and on a positive note, I can tell you
that the one thing I know for certain right now is that neither you, nor I, are
the only ones who feel as if they have slowed down, as if they are just so damn
tired all the time, and as if everything we aim to accomplish takes a ton more
energy now that ever it did before.
It really is not just you and
me, my friends.
I believe that this sense of
brain fog and energy depletion we’re feeling should be recognized as the pandemic
within the pandemic. Whether we’ve individually come down with Covid or
not, this one, this pall, this miasma, we have all come down with.
There is not a single person I’ve spoken to who doesn’t feel this way.
I don’t know what the cure is, really. I
imagine it’s going to be different things for different people. Seriously, I
believe the choice before us all right now is this: perk up or perish!
To a certain extent, I believe
that the cure for the dark ick hovering over us all must include some form of
physical exercise. In times past, whenever someone was feeling tired, or
perhaps it’s more accurate to say “burned out”, others have recommended
exercise. The maxim is that expending energy to exercise creates more energy.
(That’s sort of like that truism in life that the more love you give, the more love
you have to give). I don’t make
New Year’s resolutions, per se, as you well know from these essays. But I
sometimes will take the time to look at where I am and what I’m doing with a
view to perhaps making a slight course correction.
The course correction I’m
contemplating involves physical activity. Heck of a time of year to decide on
that, but there it is. I want to move more—not higher, stronger, faster. Just….more.
Around the house, around the room, it doesn’t matter. I can put two feet in front
of the other (I walk with a cane so technically that is three “feet” I am
tottering around on) and just do it.
I don’t have to talk myself
into accomplishing this—at least not much. What I do have to keep affirming,
mentally, is that this isn’t something that will show any kind of instant
results. This will take time. There are some small, particular improvements I
am hoping to see, and I think if I begin today (actually I began yesterday) and
move more each day than I have been doing over the last year, I should see some
improvement by the end of March. In this household, the end of March is synonymous
with the end of winter. So that would be as close to perfect as I can get.
Movement creates energy, and
energy eradicates stagnation. Yes, my dear friends, this is just my opinion. I
don’t care if anyone else believes this, or not. I only care about getting my
butt in gear, and honestly, moving is the best way I know to do that.
Plus, keeping busy does
guarantee that sleep comes easier. Trust me when I say that a good, easy sleep
is second to exercise in curing whatever may ail you.
And I will also here admit
that I need to add the adjective “earlier” to that. Staying up until the wee
hours really isn’t good for one hoping to get an early start on the day with
vim and vigor.
Wishing you all a wonderful 2022!
Love,
Morgan
http://www.bookstrand.com/morgan-ashbury
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