So, after the tantalizing taste of summer over the weekend, the weather here in Pennsylvania has devolved back into the giant gray ball of suck.
Looking up at Chiques Rock
I’ve noticed recently how much my mood changes with the weather patterns. When it’s sunny and warm, especially with a nice breeze, I’m almost ebullient in my general demeanor. When it’s gray and yucky, I just want to watch the world burn. Maybe I have that seasonal affective disorder. Who knows… but I doubt one of those lights will really change my outlook that much.
There’s something about the tactile sensations… feeling that warmth of the sun on your face and feeling the breeze in your hair. This is probably why, while I love biking, I LOATHE a stationary bike. We’re talking more than I loathe the University of Michigan.
Looking down the Susquehanna from Marietta
That being said, I managed to take advantage of the nice weather at the end of the week and get out on the trail. It was a nice discovery, though… getting out earlier in the season really let me see some of the landmarks from a different point of view. One that’s typically obscured by foliage later in the year.
Old rail tunnel on the Northwest River Trail
I also find that getting back on the trail helps rid me of the inner turmoil that seems to be more of a constant every day. It’s almost as with each mile, my inner self feels less burdened. Same thing with home projects. Each cut of wood, or nail hammered is tangible proof that I’m making a difference somewhere, even if it’s just my guest room. I can look at that floor and know that I did that… with my own two hands and my own achy knees.
I think it’s important that we have something tangible to look to as the fruit of our labor. A carpenter can look at a cabinet he or she built. An author can see a book. An ironworker can look at a skyscraper and say, “I made this.” I’m not saying that you must be a tradesman to feel that sense of accomplishment, far from it. A medical professional can look at a patient and say, “I saved her life.” A prosecutor can look at a criminal they helped convict as tangible proof of accomplishment. Even a mathematician can look at an equation and say, “I did this.”
The new floor in the guest room
Honestly, everyone can find something they accomplished, whether it be doing something amazing and ground breaking, or something as simple as waking up in the morning. I’ve had days where my greatest accomplishment was not throat-punching someone who really, REALLY deserved it. But that’s life and you just keep on moving because that’s all you can do sometimes to stay sane in this messed up world. Just remember the words of that famous anti-hero Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Until the next time.
Memoirs of a Soon-to-Be Former Fat Guy 