Do certain things remind you of your childhood? Winter reminds me. Some of the reminders are not particularly happy. One time I told my parents: "I will NOT walk to school when the temperature is below than 20 degrees!" It was probably an eight block walk and my nose was running, my fingers stiff, my bones sore from hunching against the cold by the time I reached the equally chilly high school. We lived too close for the bus and I had no car. My best friend and I tried singing, skipping, everything to keep warm. Nothing worked. St. Louis has cold winters.
But
most childhood winter memories are good ones. You too? On our second
date my husband and I, then teenagers, sneaked into a country club and
sledded by moonlight. St. Louis is also hilly. We shared a sled. I
had no complaints about the cold that night.
Do you agree that a wonderful thing about childhood is that our pleasures were simple? I lived in a drafty house, had my own room and we had a dog. The warm air from the coal furnace blew the dog's hair everywhere. My job was to sweep it up. A mix of collie and super-shedder, she lost large tufts of hair year-round. I got an allowance for my chores. I kept a diary which was mostly about boys I liked who sometimes liked me back.
My
first dog's name is still my password. I bet something from your
childhood is your password too. I wonder if anyone has researched that.
There's a reason security questions often have to do with our
childhoods. I can't articulate it, but someone can. Some memories
don't fade.
One thing winter brings is time for introspection. The quiet that accompanies the cold leaves more room to think. The coronavirus has certainly left time for contemplation. Even with home-schooling and all the rest, winter is a slower season. Let's be content.
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