I remember many years ago when a friend and I laughed at her elderly parents and their constant concern for the weather. They would cancel any outing if it rained, snowed, was too warm or too cold. We could not understand why they would do this. My friend would have plans with them to take a short trip to pick apples and they would cancel because it was too hot or raining.
I also had an elderly friend who watched the weather channel relentlessly even though she was more or less house bound and would not be going out into it. She could tell you if it was going to rain, snow, rise drastically in temp or drop drastically in temp. She knew the wind speed and the wind chill factor. And thunderstorms terrified her.
My young friend and I swore that we would never let the weather control what we did on any given day when we got older. This winter I have to eat those words. The weather is controlling my life.
I check the weather channel for the temp when I get up in the morning. I also look to see what the weather will be for that day, i.e. temperature, wind speed, if it will rain and when, or if there is snow predicted. I also check it periodically during the day and I check to see what the low will be. I plan my day accordingly.
What has happened to me? Is it because I have gotten older? Is the weather that important in my day to day life? No, not totally. I think it is partly because of my living conditions.
Last year, I moved to an isolated place near a river in northeast North Carolina near the Albemarle Sound. I live in a summer house that is not adequately insulated for winter. I cannot afford to heat the entire house so I plan which room I can heat and when I can be in it. Since we are having the worst winter in many years, this takes my total focus.
But it still remains that I focus on the weather. I believe when we get older and it is harder to do all the things we did when younger, that we focus on a specific thing to have something to do. Weather happens every day so it can be a focus point and can control our lives if we let it.
My younger friend has aged as I have, but she is still working in a profession that requires her to go out in the weather. She dresses appropriately, takes caution in inclement weather when driving, and does not let bad weather stop her. She has something important to focus on. She notices the weather but it does not control her like it does me.
My suggestion (which I intend to follow) is to find activities to do and focus on instead of what the weather will be today. My plans are to move away from this isolated place where I am living to a large city and get involved in some sort of job or volunteer group. The concern for the weather will move back to where it belongs – in the background of my life.
I also had an elderly friend who watched the weather channel relentlessly even though she was more or less house bound and would not be going out into it. She could tell you if it was going to rain, snow, rise drastically in temp or drop drastically in temp. She knew the wind speed and the wind chill factor. And thunderstorms terrified her.
My young friend and I swore that we would never let the weather control what we did on any given day when we got older. This winter I have to eat those words. The weather is controlling my life.
I check the weather channel for the temp when I get up in the morning. I also look to see what the weather will be for that day, i.e. temperature, wind speed, if it will rain and when, or if there is snow predicted. I also check it periodically during the day and I check to see what the low will be. I plan my day accordingly.
What has happened to me? Is it because I have gotten older? Is the weather that important in my day to day life? No, not totally. I think it is partly because of my living conditions.
Last year, I moved to an isolated place near a river in northeast North Carolina near the Albemarle Sound. I live in a summer house that is not adequately insulated for winter. I cannot afford to heat the entire house so I plan which room I can heat and when I can be in it. Since we are having the worst winter in many years, this takes my total focus.
But it still remains that I focus on the weather. I believe when we get older and it is harder to do all the things we did when younger, that we focus on a specific thing to have something to do. Weather happens every day so it can be a focus point and can control our lives if we let it.
My younger friend has aged as I have, but she is still working in a profession that requires her to go out in the weather. She dresses appropriately, takes caution in inclement weather when driving, and does not let bad weather stop her. She has something important to focus on. She notices the weather but it does not control her like it does me.
My suggestion (which I intend to follow) is to find activities to do and focus on instead of what the weather will be today. My plans are to move away from this isolated place where I am living to a large city and get involved in some sort of job or volunteer group. The concern for the weather will move back to where it belongs – in the background of my life.
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