Good Sports

by Budd Glassberg

Reprinted with permission from the Zionsville Times Sentinel on February 14, 2007

Fun from the Sky

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” – Marcus Aurelius

Sometimes you just can’t see or appreciate what you have in front of you. Here in central Indiana, snow and more snow has been on the ground for roughly three weeks. During that time the temperatures have been and remain below freezing each day and all day, often with wind chills well below zero degrees Fahrenheit. It is common, during this time, to hear people complaining about the weather often remarking that they are tired of the cold and snow. I suspect most of the dissatisfied “deal with the weather” by spending as little time as possible outside. There is another more positive way to live through winter that involves experiencing that which winter has to offer.

Victor Frankl said, “Everything can be taken from a man but ... the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” These words are liberating, a written prescription to endure, nay enjoy the world around us regardless of the temperature. Prior to this cold snap, winter had barely visited us. The lack of snow and cold temperatures made one wonder if global warming had halted its baby steps and performed a giant leap. Relieved that winter had not abandoned us, I made a conscious decision to embrace the change in climate rather than complain about it or fight it. Each morning that I did not need to have my vehicle, I dressed for the cold and walked to work. Every day I made sure I did all of my exercise outside on the rail trail or in the parks. Gradually, the cold became less of an obstacle and more of a pleasant experience. I began looking for reasons to be outside.

The two snowfalls allowed me to go out and shovel snow. There are few things that give me a greater feeling of accomplishment than looking back at a driveway I just finished shoveling. While shoveling my driveway, two neighborhood children came to the hill which borders my drive and began sledding down. Watching them made me comprehend that appreciation of winter and attitude toward the weather is best realized through the eyes of a child. To them snow is simply fun from the sky. They didn’t seem to notice the cold. It was merely one part of the entire enjoyable experience.

This morning I ran the five kilometer loop in Nancy Burton and Starkey Parks. With a temperature of two degrees and a wind chill of minus nine, you might think that the run was uncomfortable. You would be wrong. It easily made my list of one of the top ten runs of the past two years. Long before the sun arrived, the snow, clouds and moon provided more than enough light to guide me through the parks. The snow was soft beneath my feet. I met not a soul on the run. There was wildlife afoot and a calm creek that bordered the trail. More natural beauty greeted me than I had experienced in months. Finishing invigorated and wanting more after arriving home, I showered and walked to work.

Having lived in central California for eight years, I remembered during my time there, that I missed the change of seasons. It is difficult to mark time in your mind without the cyclical events of changing weather of the seasons. Having too much of the same “good weather” leads to less appreciation and unwarranted expectation of it.

I have heard it said that everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. This does not necessarily need to be the case. The choice is yours. Embrace and enjoy it or fight and hate it. You may view it as another dreaded snowfall or fun from the sky.

Budd Glassberg is a resident of Zionsville who is active in the local running community. Visit www.runz.com for reprints of all his columns. You can reach him by email at budd@runz.com.