Cultural Winter

This time of year I always feel so tired and sleepy, and especially on the weekends I feel like I could just stay in bed all day. I know the shorter days with less sunlight has a lot to do with it, but how does that relate historically? 

I’m pretty sure that when humans lived in caves, they probably stayed inside during the cold and snowy winter months as much as possible. They may have had to hunt periodically for meat, but plants were scarce, if they could be found at all.

Indigenous people throughout the northern latitudes spent much of their time during spring, summer and fall, preparing for winter. In the late summer and early fall, hunters - and sometimes entire families - would travel to where game was plentiful and prepare meat for packing back home, where the meat would be dried and stored for winter meals. Women and children would gather and preserve plants used for food or medicine. Inside the lodges, winter was a time to sew or repair clothing and household items, for making new arrow heads, knives or spears, for music and laughter, and for relaxing as much as possible.

Winter was also a time for storytelling. Because there was no written language among Native Americans until the early 1820s, storytelling was - and still is - a very important part of native culture. Telling stories was a way to relive adventures, events of the day, or pass down family history, culture and traditions.

Our modern culture teaches that this time of year is for alcohol, lights, shopping, overworking, over-spending and consumerism. It’s a tiring and stressful time. It’s a time for isolation and loneliness for those who have no money or family.

And yet if we look at the natural world, winter is a time for sleeping. The natural tug to go inwards as nearly all creatures are doing is strong, how can we not feel that we too, must hibernate during these cold and dark months? In actual fact winter is kind. She points us in her quiet soft way towards our inner self, towards this annual time of peace and reflection.

Winter takes away the distractions, the buzz, and presents us with the perfect time to rest our weary bodies, minds, and souls, and withdraw into a womb like love, bringing fire & light to our hearth". And then, just around the corner the new year will begin again, and like a seed planted deep in the earth, we will all rise with renewed energy once again to dance in the sunlight.

 

B-r-r-r-r-r!!!

Got up this morning and checked the outside temperature on the weather app on my phone before taking my dog out to potty, although I don’t know why. It’s winter. It’s cold. One of these days I’m going to check the weather app and it’s going to say, “What the hell are you looking here for? Just bundle up, it’s fucking freezing outside!” 

Winter's Here!

And just like that, it’s winter.

Snow squall moved through at around 11:00 and strong winds all day. Made for very quick walks with Cowboy, and while I was inside the office, he stayed in his crate, where it was cozy warm. Good boy! 

Looks like it’s going to be bitter cold all the way through Tuesday, with warmer temps through Sunday. Warmer being relevant; low to mid 20s with wind chills below zero during the day, and temps in the teens at night. Thursday however, it’s supposed to “warm up” all the way into the low to mid 30s during the day and low to mid teens at night.

This is January weather!  I hate to think what it will be like in January - maybe it will feel like Spring.

 

The Times They Are a'Changing

Daylight Savings Time ends tonight - or rather tomorrow, at 2:00. Ugh, I hate changing the time back! Why can’t they just leave it alone???   

It seems they are trying...

“Earlier this year, the state Senate passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent. The idea of ending clock changes and sticking to one time was met with celebration — until scientists pointed out that such a change could cause a nationwide case of seasonal depression, learning loss and physical health problems”, which led the house to vote the bill down.

Who ARE these so-called “scientists” anyway? 

I ask this every year: how can people who are (supposed to be) so smart, not see what’s right in front of their faces?? Cause a nationwide case of seasonal depression?? Are you serious?!?!  What does it matter when it gets dark??  We always have less light in the winter, and seasonal depression is commonplace all over the US, especially up here in the northern latitudes, where we typically get only around seven to eight hours of daylight during mid-winter. And how about Alaska, where there are six months of 24 hour "nighttime" above the Arctic Circle? 

And how about this one --

“Removing a time change would mean a change to our daily exposure to natural light, which directly influences our circadian rhythms and our sleep-wake cycles. Light itself is the most important external factor in getting good sleep.”

Like this doesn’t happen anyway??? It's changing the time that disturbs the natural circadian rhythms... 

Ok, all of you brainiac scientists and psychological "experts"; 

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF DAYLIGHT, NO MATTER WHAT TIME THE CLOCK SAYS!!!

Changing the clocks back, or ahead, will not change a single, solitary minute as far as how much natural light you get. Your circadian rhythms naturally adjust to the longer or shorter days. And if you get seasonal affective disorder, you're going to get it no matter what time it is!  If you want more daylight, move south.

And my very favorite argument:

When Daylight Savings Time was explained to an elderly Native American man, he commented, "Only a white man can believe that if you cut off the top of a blanket and sew it onto to bottom, you'll have a longer blanket".  

BOOM