|
Volume CXXXIII, Number 16 |
 |
Ahhh... February
KAZIA JANKOWSKI
GUEST COLUMNIST
Taking one of my much needed telemark skiing breaks last weekend, a girl stopped next to me to ask the pivotal question-"Is this year a leap year?"
I laughed and said yes, and she responded with a gloomy sigh of "Oh, man," and wished March would be here sooner.
Although she skied on, she left me pondering inevitable feeling of the February funk. The one that makes you want to hunt down that damned groundhog who wished upon us six more weeks of winter and whose sensation is summed up in the Shipyard beer Fuggles.
Recognizing the February funk is the first step to overcoming it, especially when March is just days away. It is a reminder that if you have to live with winter, you might as well embrace it. After all, Aquarius and Pisces, the zodiac signs for February, inspire open-mindedness and higher development. With that outlook, the possibilities are limitless.
Take the snow, for example. Although its timing is a little off, gracing us as the temperature should be preparing for spring, snow is an excellent excuse to avoid studying and slumping around. Either embrace its coziness with a movie and hot chocolate, and prepare yourself to be well versed for the Academy Award ceremonies this Sunday, or embrace its coldness and bust it on outside.
Snowball fights are a particularly good way to let go of aggression. You know that kid who cut in front of you in the dining hall the other day? Nothing tells him to watch out more than a cold, icy snowball down the back of his shirt. Don't worry, I know from experience that if he calls you out on it, you can just claim it was an accident...bad aim. Then there is sledding. Nothing is quite as romantic as night sledding. No need to wait until the quad couples of the spring-you can just head over to Topsham and go tubing.
Of course, there are also the more conventional possibilities. Snowshoeing is fabulous. Waist deep snow and walking through the woods puts the paper you have to write for Monday into perspective. (The BOC has a trip going out this weekend and a moonlight snowshoe next weekend.) You could also go to a speaker, who may inspire you to think about what you will do once the snow melts. Next Thursday and Friday, Anna Levesque will be coming to Bowdoin. She is a world freestyle medallist, yoga instructor, and the creator of an instructional whitewater kayaking video for women. Anna will be showing her movie Thursday night in the OLC and will talk at next Friday's Common Hour.
With all that said, I leave you with a meditation. Something to consider as you figure out how to shake the February funk...the object of one's enthusiasm is at least as important as the enthusiasm itself. Let me know if you have any insights.
For information on sending a letter to the editor, please click here.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |