On Taking the Initiative

Well, hi! It has been an inordinately busy day for somebody who's been "hibernating" (somewhat reluctantly after the second week) for as long as I have:( But it's been good busy, church and friends busy, not tedious busy. That'll come tomorrow, God knows. And wouldn't you know it, I hear we're due for ANOTHER big snow on Wednesday. As my friend put it: "well it's Wednesday so..." because in this town, every Wednesday seems to be a snow day, and that's just a matter of course, and we should all get used to it:) And I have tried, Bloggerverse. I have TRIED. But ever since the Polar Vortex the idea of the cold outside causes me to physically recoil. It has been a struggle AND A HALF to force myself out the door some days, to face the uneven sidewalks covered in ice and snow, and "CAT-erpillar" my walker's four wheels over the icy mounds of "footpaths" that the City persists in allowing businesses to call "shoveled curbs":( More than anything, THAT'S the most frustrating bit; climbing over others' negligence with my walker--clearly already coming at the whole "walking outside" thing from a disadvantage--just because some business people decided to let the ice and snow pushed onto their curbs be the City's problem and not theirs. Was it not the City plows that pushed the ice and snow up there in the first place? They must reason. Well yes, yes it was. But as I noted to my minister and a friend of ours, following church tonight, "sometimes you have to do it yourself." And it is with this in mind that I sometimes carry a little metal spade to widen the foot paths that would otherwise exclude my walker from safe pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks. I haven't used it yet this winter, but considering the onslaught yet AGAIN in store...it looks like I'll have to use it soon. And this takes me to an issue that keeps coming up in my small circles and in wider ones throughout society--the issue of whether or not people wear way too much perfume or hand sanitizer that is offensive to sensitive olfactory nerves (or whatever the complaint), or whether the use of soaps or lotions or detergents should be minimized. I think it all comes down to personal responsibility. "Know thyself"! I carry a shovel because I am aware that not all sidewalks are cleared, and my walker is Hell to push through a foot of icy snow. But like anybody, I want to be out in the world. It's not like I enjoy being a "maid in the tower", for weeks on end. And I know I can't control the universe, so I control my response. Likewise, if public places with strong smells are offensive to you or give you headaches or coughs...take the necessary precautions! Carry Tylenol in your purse. Leave a situation where the smell is causing your body to react. You don't have to sit there and suffer; be responsible. When you interact with the world, the world will affect you. So on that note, I will step down from my soap box and continue with my night. I'm having one of those "I promise myself I'll be asleep early" nights, which probably means I'll actually be up LATE--just 'cause that's how my luck goes. But I'm going to try not to disappoint myself again! Forgive the late entry; at least I made it:)