January 12: Bloom Indoors, Cold and Snowy, Intellectual Horizons

It is winter proper; the cold weather, such as it is, has come to stay.  I bloom indoors in the winter like a forced forsythia; I come in to come out.  At night I read and write, and things I have never understood become clear; I read the harvest of the rest of the year's planting.

Yes, when the arctic air takes control, Annie Dillard does what everyone else does:  she stays inside.  Reads books.  Writes in her journal (I imagine).  She doesn't lament the cold months of winter.  She takes advantage of them, expanding her understanding of the universe.

It was cold and snowy this morning.  School were canceled.  Roads were closed.  Unfortunately, I could not bloom indoors; I had to drive to the medical office to work.  For nine hours, I toiled away.  It's not exciting stuff.  It doesn't expand my intellectual horizons.  Exactly the opposite, as a matter of fact.

I really want to bloom indoors, like Dillard, during the upcoming months.  I'd love to teach myself to speak Spanish or read all the books of Leo Tolstoy.  Unfortunately, I'm more likely to read the collected works of Dr. Seuss and teach myself to take extended naps.

Speaking of naps, it's late, and Saint Marty has a long day tomorrow.

A little plug for vaccination...