Lifestyles

Go away gloom, gray, and cold

By BECKY NELSON
Bramblings
Spring must be just around the corner. I just flipped the page to May, and am expecting some warm weather, leaves popping and grass growing and some hope. Gloomy, cold and gray weather and the related attitudes and gloomy feelings are taking their toll on me.

We have planted some crops in the hoop houses that are starting to perk along because of the concentrated heat from what little sun we have seen and the protection from excess water and weather, but we have not been able to begin planting outside. This seems like a familiar song to be singing. Last year began with excess water and very cool temperatures and it took significant time to scramble to plant when the weather finally cooperated and coax crops to come into harvestable nature when folks were looking for them. I am not looking forward to the battle. I am a bit weary of setbacks and disappointments, and am hoping for an easier path for a change.

Even the grass is growing painfully slowly. We have run out of our own hay and are now having to buy feed for the animals. We are still heating the house and having to buy fuel to keep the furnace running. Money is running out, patience is running thin and folks are getting grumpy.

Gloom, despair, anger, vitriol, finger pointing, lack of patience, hand-wringing and bad attitudes are a national problem or so it seems from the newscast. I am reminded of a song that used to play on the old “Hee-Haw” show when we were kids: “gloom, despair, and agony on me. Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Gloom, despair and agony on me.” It was funny at the time we were watching, but things look a lot different as an adult than they did as a kid. Folks are hurting and disappointed. It’s not just the weather that is creating a gloomy climate, but squabbles among neighbors, friends and of course, adversaries over political matters are putting a damper on our national optimism.

I used to think that our nation was a nation of optimists who were working to achieve the American Dream of success, freedom of expression and sharing of moral and ethical ideals. I’m not so sure, anymore, as our elected officials pick each other apart and perpetuate wars of words and tweets instead of working for we the people to show a shining star to the rest of the world. Even in our local communities I observe individuals in their very public battles nitpicking about deeds done and work to be done with not enough money, rising taxes and a disinterested or at the very least a disheartened community base. Maybe I’m just getting old or just getting cynical.

We used to pick on my dad for being a pessimist. My mother was the self-proclaimed Queen of Optimism, but my dad looked to the dark side. I once asked him why he always looked for the gloomy to be the victor in any situation, and he said “because then I am never disappointed.” Anything better than the worst-case scenario was worthy of celebration. I am afraid I am beginning to take after my dad. Enough setbacks and disappointments on my path have me tend to expect the worst or close to it of late … and now I am never disappointed if things turn out any better. I like to feel that I can regain my optimistic nature, but I am growing tired of rhetoric, empty words and success being down the road somewhere around a corner that we can’t quite see. I need a little hope and a whole lot of patience.

Hope is a very fragile commodity. It is easy to lose hope when facing what may seem to be insurmountable obstacles. Patience works into the equation, too. It is hard to wait for good things to happen, even if you know they will eventually come to fruition. Knowing that rainy day will eventually end, knowing the sun will eventually shine and knowing that things will grow, money will come from hard work and comfort will come from keeping the faith and putting our attitudes in a place where those things can come to make us smile are two very different things. We need to foster each other’s hope and support each other’s patience as we work together to make the world a sunnier place instead of constantly knocking our heads against one another’s and chopping at one another’s knees to topple those with whom we disagree.

We need a cheer up in our personal lives and careers, our communities, our states and our nation. The gloomy weather, the gloomy conversations, the gloomy attitudes. We need to lose them all and regain a bit of that optimism that can make a world of difference. Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day.

 

Becky is co-owner of Beaver Pond Farm in Newport, [email protected]

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