Tuesday, October 30, 2012

In The Dumps


I’ve been in the dumps today, more a vegetable than a woman. A good many things probably have contributed: a health insurance issue that’s proving difficult, a grey, grey sky.

Normally I’m a fairly resilient person, but not right now. I blame the upcoming election and the long, long campaign season. In addition, dread is weighing me down. What if Romney were to win? We would have no idea what to expect of him since he will say anything that advances his goal. He scares me silly.

Ignoring as much news as possible and reading about geological time failed to protect me. But what can I do? Nothing more than I have done.

It’s a funny thing that when I’m in the pits I know that if I went outside and walked around I would perk up, but acting on that knowledge is difficult.

Luckily the sun came out and saved me this afternoon. I went out to visit the garden and chickens and gather the eggs. I was struck again by the perfection of our spacious chicken yard, whose numerous trees provide cooling shade in the summer but let the sun warm the yard and house in winter. The trees also protect the chickens from hawks year round.


Inside the chicken house the Barred Rock hen was in a nest box and the Rhode Island Red hen was standing facing the nest, cackling away. What that was about I’ll never know. I just know that I couldn’t intrude to gather eggs.

On the way back to the house I plucked a stem of parsley. The kitchen god was pleased.


Thank God for sunshine. And may this election soon be over.


Copyright 2012 by Shirley Domer

4 comments:

Jayhawk Fan said...

I'm glad you know that a walk outside was the best medicine! I've turned off the news until next week!

Love you!

LawrenceLinda said...

I agree wholeheartedly! Turn off the news! Wisdom is the ability to see whether you can affect anything you are concerned about and, if not, just go enjoy the sunshine.

LawrenceLinda said...

Maybe, instead of the word "wisdom" in the statement above, I should have said "sanity is the ability......"
How can we celebrate on Wednesday? National "Thank God It's Over Day"?
Or, perhaps, " Let's Reform the Presidential Election System Day".....you think up another one!

Shirley said...

Lots of luck reforming the election system. I'll go for your "Thank God It's Over Day." It will be a great relief.

And, yes, that's what an important part of wisdom is about – knowing what one can affect and what one can't.