![[SeMissourian.com]](http://www.marshallnews.com/images/nameplate.png)
|
|
Fog/Mist ~ High: 58°F ~ Low: 45°F |
|
I Heart Sunshine
Posted Friday, January 9, 2009, at 4:52 PMRead comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
Ever since I learned about Seasonal Affective Disorder a few years ago, I have known that it affects everyone to varying degrees, including myself, but I don't believe I ever realized just how much of an effect the sun has on my mood until quite recently.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is also known as the "winter blues." Less exposure to light during winter leads to lower levels of an unconfirmed substance in our bodies, possibly serotonin or melatonin. The exact chemical responsible is disputed, though such prominent and well-respected medical bodies as the Mayo Clinic agree on the existence of SAD. Saturday, Jan. 3, was a beautiful day. It was so beautiful, in fact, that I couldn't have stopped myself from going outside and running for the bulk of an hour once I noticed the temperature, even if I had wanted to. The rest of the day, I had my doors and windows wide open as I cleaned my house. Housekeeping is one of those things that I understand to be important and that I dislike the effects of not keeping up with, but I still find hard to get started on it from time to time. Saturday was just different. Nothing could seem so pleasant as to do my dishes, to sweep my floor, to rearrange my furniture. It was as though the sun and wind had themselves moved me to get up and work. Once I finally sat down and decided to relax, I felt almost guilty. It was barely 5 p.m., and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was doing the day a disservice by not using it in its entirety. The feeling stuck with me until I gave in and went for another run around 10 p.m., the sun firmly out of sight, but not mind. Friday, Jan. 9, was much the same. Sitting in the Democrat-News office, I didn't realize the weather was so nice until I stepped outside for lunch. Quickly going home, I again flung open my windows and doors for the short time I was there, deeply breathing in the delicious air as I sat on the steps of my house and -- well, did very little, besides enjoying the feeling of the warm yet pleasantly cool air as it moved across my skin, into my nose and mouth and down my windpipe. And, again, when I stopped experiencing the sunshine and wind, I felt like I was doing something wrong -- but I couldn't have been, could I? I was going back to work to do my part as a productive member of society. But I guess there's more to life than being productive. Things like feeling your heart pump as you breathe deep. Things like smelling the air and loving every bit of it, even if you can sense a little of ConAgra's output in it. Things like watching your cat bathe in the sunshine. It's nothing most people don't know, but it's something I feel everyone can stand to be reminded of. Sunshine and wind are awe-inspiring and can't help but make life just a little bit better. At least until people start complaining about how hot it is. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
A Complicated Way of Saying 'Apples'  - Archives - Blog RSS feed ![[Feed icon]](http://www.marshallnews.com/images/icons/feed-icon-14x14.png){kind=icon} - Comments RSS feed - Login It was a beautiful summer day, and I was relaxing with my friends. One of them, Brian, was talking, and, as happens to me sometimes, my mind began to drift -- a bad habit, I know. When I snapped back to the moment at hand, I asked Brian what he had said. As he commonly does, he downplayed the importance of his statements, and when pressed, he merely said, "It was just a complicated way of saying 'apples.'"
And so, the smart-aleck that I often seem to be, I said, simply, "Apples."
The following silence was comfortable, but nowhere near as pleasant as being present for and party to a discussion, no matter how trivial, with two of my best friends.
So, while sometimes, all of my speech is merely a complicated way of saying "apples," I have come to enjoy those roundabout things that are perhaps unnecessary, because sometimes, merely saying "apples" isn't enough.
Hot topics A relationship with Christ(21 ~ 3:01 PM, Nov 13)
Let him go
I Heart Sunshine
|
And hot it will be - Geoff, you'll have enough sunshine at or near 100 degrees to last you most of a lifetime :)
People here think it's humid in the summer, too, but until they have lived in the Mississippi valley, they're only dreaming of humidity.
Geoff, I too have started to notice my moods differ with the weather. As a school teacher, I try to be even handed, but today I ran out to my car for something and realized just how beautiful it was. My mood was somehow lighter and I spent the rest of the day joking around with my students while still teaching. Their moods also seemed to improve. Maybe the sun on my shoulders lifted my spirits and in turn others around picked up on my more jovial dispostion.
You know the funny thing about sunshine is that it's only there about half the time. The rest of the day you are alone wondering what it might be doing. Perhaps it is keeping someone else warm while you are sleeping all alone at night. Sometimes bodies that seem heavenly have their faults.
I know what you mean about the sun. I love having my windows and door open so that I can enjoy the breeze. I am not looking forward to the 100 degree days, but I am looking forward to the warm days and cool nights of Spring.