Last night I was walking down Killingsworth on my way to a meeting. The chill in the air...ok the freezing cold weather, made me think. About other people braving this cold. About how lucky I am to have clothing, shelter and food.
How many are without shelter? How many are families? Women? Children?
Will they at least have “just warm enough” bedding and have enough walls, cardboard they may be, to valiantly shield their frail bodies against the bitter winds?
How many will instead shiver, their bodies generating barely enough warmth to fight the impending freeze? They impatiently await for the sunrise and the feeble warmth it may bring to an Oregon winter day.
A cold breeze the likes of which I've never experienced jolted me back to reality and my surroundings. My thoughts turn inward, toward my battered, chilled body. Wearing black denim (is that a fashion faux pas these days?) , polo shirt and a light 2-button hound tooth pattern sports coat, I feel feeble against the wind. Old Man Winter's breath, no matter how light, blows through my clothing to chill me as if I was naked.
I am uncomfortable, my skin crawls trying to escape the cold and find any semblance of non-existent warmth. But I will survive, I will be alright, my destination mere blocks away. The warmth of family, friends and a heated meeting room awaits. Infinitely a better option than many.
So why was I so reluctant to get out this morning? I dreaded checking the thermostat, afraid that I would see the red colored alcohol barely breaking through its bulb. That was what I saw. I should have stayed neatly tucked in my blanket on the folding chair that I slept on.
What a difference my state of mind can have on my outlook. From a placid larvae in the warm embrace of my blankets to bravely facing, nay even conquering Mother Nature's challenging cold. With a flick of a switch, deciding to get up and that the world out there is worth taking becomes the overwhelming desire of the day. So I will give you a break today...stay in your comfort zone. Tomorrow, forge the will to conquer the new day and break out of your shell. Seize the day.