Headstall's Reflections - 75. Chapter 75 S.A.D.

I love this Poem the Images rock 

1 hour ago, Albert1434 said:

I love this Poem the Images rock 

Thank you, Albert! I appreciate your support and kind words.  

14 minutes ago, Headstall said:

Some years are better than others. There were a few years I didn't want to do anything, but you can't hide away on a farm. Chores have to be done, and I believe that helps. I take vitamin D too.   Thanks, northie.  

Hell yeah, the horses dont want to hear "I dont feel like it".

53 minutes ago, Kitt said:

Hell yeah, the horses dont want to hear "I dont feel like it".

Lol. Yes, Kitt, they certainly don't. My mare is very vocal if I'm late in serving 'Her Majesty.' So is Falkor.   Thanks for commenting.  

39 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

I totally relate to this.  January tends to be a difficult month, but at least there's spring to look forward to.  After reading this comic, my new name for January is "cold, gray bucket of suck"  lol 

 

Lol. I went out today for my walk, thinking it was sunny and rather mild.   Boy, was I wrong. The sun ran away, and there was a brutal wind. I think exercise helps my mood a lot, though. It's not a complete cure, but coupled with the knowledge spring will come, it gets me through. My neighbor is a recluse for months every year. She won't even drive.   Thanks, Val.  

Just now, Marty said:

Ditto to what @Parker Owens said.

As for the next stanza:

The cure is within reach
But penance we must serve
Until March heads to April
And we round the final curve

I usually find that by the second half of February the increased day length is sufficient to get me on to that final curve.

Well done, Gary! You captured the mood excellently.

I was thinking of you, buddy, when I wrote this. Mine is now sporadic. I'm down and listless for a few days, and somehow I snap out of it... temporarily. Exercise helps, but motivation is hard.   March is usually when it lifts completely. Thanks, Marty... very pleased you liked this one.  

2 minutes ago, Headstall said:

I was thinking of you, buddy, when I wrote this.

That means so much to me!

I've learned to cope with the seasonal S.A.D. I think the fact that I know what causes it helps, if only because that means that I know it will pass.

I also think that the occasional down times are important. They help make me appreciate the up times more fully.

I loved the rhythm of this poem.

My father suffered from S.A.D. but we didn’t know what it was until we were older.  
Your lyrical dance of the winter blues was spot on;  You somehow made them seem more adventurous than sad while still effectively conveying how crippling this can be.

Autumn is my favorite season, followed by Spring;  I tolerate Winter and hate Summer.

Thank you for sharing, Gary....I enjoyed this very much.

1 hour ago, Marty said:

That means so much to me!

I've learned to cope with the seasonal S.A.D. I think the fact that I know what causes it helps, if only because that means that I know it will pass.

I also think that the occasional down times are important. They help make me appreciate the up times more fully.

Agreed. I've learned to take the good with the bad, and like you say, it makes you appreciate the good so much more. Maybe there is a part of us, from our ancient beginnings, that needs to hibernate... to rest and contemplate what has come before and what will come again, so we can be renewed.  

23 minutes ago, FanLit said:

I loved the rhythm of this poem.

My father suffered from S.A.D. but we didn’t know what it was until we were older.  
Your lyrical dance of the winter blues was spot on;  You somehow made them seem more adventurous than sad while still effectively conveying how crippling this can be.

Autumn is my favorite season, followed by Spring;  I tolerate Winter and hate Summer.

Thank you for sharing, Gary....I enjoyed this very much.

Thanks, my friend. Yes, S.A.D. can be crippling for some, and for a long time it wasn't diagnosed. It was just the 'blahs.' Autumn is my favorite season too, but spring is a close second. Now that I've installed central air, maybe the dog days of summer won't be so bad.   Really glad you liked this... my urge to write poetry has lessened of late, so it feels good to let the words out to play again.  

The daylight hours are noticeably longer here in SC. Darkness doesn't fall before we've eaten. The milder weather also means pansies and snapdragons bloom through the winter along with the camellias. Mum's hyacinth are beginning to push through. A definite sign that Spring is coming.

1 hour ago, dughlas said:

The daylight hours are noticeably longer here in SC. Darkness doesn't fall before we've eaten. The milder weather also means pansies and snapdragons bloom through the winter along with the camellias. Mum's hyacinth are beginning to push through. A definite sign that Spring is coming.

That sounds like a great way to pass winter, watching flowers bloom.   I hate Daylight Savings Time, when it is so suddenly dark by 5pm. It's depressing. Thanks, bro.  

I feel ya on the winter sentiments. Yet I was just talking to a friend of mine in Queensland, Australia, and he was talking about the awful heat and humidity they were experiencing there. It made me consider whether I would like to trade my cold, gray days for his hot, steamy wet ones...and, surprisingly, I decided I'd rather not. Winter has its place, too. It's great for sharing time with others, and for fun indoor activities, like sitting by the fire and writing.

Good poetry, for instance.

So there's a fancy name for the Winter Blues?  It's odd how most of us loved the season as kids with the snow and sleds and snowmen, but as adults we just want it to be over.  For me, it's the cold now that aggravates my arthritic knees that has ruined the season for me.  Of course, rains do it nearly as bad now....
My aunt had this for years, and once her kids were grown and moved away, she urged my uncle to sell their farm and move into town around 1980.  My father's family were almost all farmers going back to 1850, all in the same part of north central Ohio, so we spent a lot of time visiting them as I grew up, and I had to admit that as things were, it was boring even in Summer.  I can imagine how terrible it would have been as they let the farm operation shrink with age, and were still stuck in the middle of nowhere on one-lane gravel roads.  That particular farm was owned by my grandfather before my uncle, and we found tons of turn of the century photographs in the barn that would have been lost except for a happy accident.  Those hang now in my living room, upstairs hall and my bedroom.
The way I see it, once past the solstice it's getting lighter day by day, so that helps buoy the spirits.
 

I can relate although winter seems to skip my part of the world this year, some icy rain,  minus 5 °C has been the worst we had to endure. What bothers us the most is the lack of light. But: The animals have begun to shed their  thick fur and I heard the geese coming back a week ago. Spring is around the corner.

9 hours ago, Geron Kees said:

I feel ya on the winter sentiments. Yet I was just talking to a friend of mine in Queensland, Australia, and he was talking about the awful heat and humidity they were experiencing there. It made me consider whether I would like to trade my cold, gray days for his hot, steamy wet ones...and, surprisingly, I decided I'd rather not. Winter has its place, too. It's great for sharing time with others, and for fun indoor activities, like sitting by the fire and writing.

Good poetry, for instance.

 

Thanks, Geron! Yeah, I wouldn't make that trade either.   Winter does have its place, and I do like the first snowfall, and a white Christmas, but I find the novelty of the season wears off come January. Ahead lies this long stretch of bitter cold and short days, where virtually everything requires more effort, and the world looks mostly bleak. That said, I consider myself lucky. My S.A.D. is much more manageable that some friends/neighbors of mine, and I can still do my chores, exercise, talk to my kids, and write.   Their  melancholy weighs them down in a more profound and debilitating way. 

That said, for me it's a trade off... spring can be glimpsed in my memories... I know its coming, and every day gets longer. Like I said, I'm one of the lucky ones. We are the lucky ones.  

Thanks, buddy. I'm picturing you, with a hot mug of something, looking out the window at falling snow, and typing on your keyboard between sips. It's something about winter we can share.   Cheers... Gary....  

6 hours ago, ColumbusGuy said:

So there's a fancy name for the Winter Blues?  It's odd how most of us loved the season as kids with the snow and sleds and snowmen, but as adults we just want it to be over.  For me, it's the cold now that aggravates my arthritic knees that has ruined the season for me.  Of course, rains do it nearly as bad now....
My aunt had this for years, and once her kids were grown and moved away, she urged my uncle to sell their farm and move into town around 1980.  My father's family were almost all farmers going back to 1850, all in the same part of north central Ohio, so we spent a lot of time visiting them as I grew up, and I had to admit that as things were, it was boring even in Summer.  I can imagine how terrible it would have been as they let the farm operation shrink with age, and were still stuck in the middle of nowhere on one-lane gravel roads.  That particular farm was owned by my grandfather before my uncle, and we found tons of turn of the century photographs in the barn that would have been lost except for a happy accident.  Those hang now in my living room, upstairs hall and my bedroom.
The way I see it, once past the solstice it's getting lighter day by day, so that helps buoy the spirits.
 

Don't you find kids are more resilient in general than us old folks?   I remember winter as a time for fun activities too. Those memories stay with me. I have those aches and pains too, my friend. Yet, I still walk every day and do my chores... no matter how melancholy I may be, I have my responsibilities. They keep me going through these darker days, and my expectations get more contained... more manageable. It can be harder for some people. like your aunt. I don't think life in the city changes as much during winter as it does in the country. 

As I said to Geron, it's a trade off. The bounty of spring gets tantalizing closer every day, even though those days seem to drag on forever. The thing is, it's coming... and it is worth the wait.   Thanks, CG. I hope winter treats you well.    

5 hours ago, aditus said:

I can relate although winter seems to skip my part of the world this year, some icy rain,  minus 5 °C has been the worst we had to endure. What bothers us the most is the lack of light. But: The animals have begun to shed their  thick fur and I heard the geese coming back a week ago. Spring is around the corner.

Hey, Adi. Thanks for reading and commenting. Sounds like you're ahead of us. Spring still looks a long way off here, but if nothing else, I have learned patience over the years.   Glad you could relate to this little poem... cheers... Gary....  

The winter can be challenging. I don't know if you're used to being outdoors, but it feels like its hard to be out and about in the winter, especially with the rain in Seattle :/. It could make me feel cooped up and mess with my mood. I hope writing has been of some solace for you as it has to some degree for me :).