Seasonal Affectiveness

Spring has sprung in D.C.! The daffodils and forsythia are blooming in bold yellows and the tourist level has spiked. (Today the cherry blossoms are supposed to be in peak bloom, so get down to the tidal basin before they are just slippery brown tread-upon petals).

This morning, I noticed that my step has gotten lighter and my posture is stronger and straighter as I slowly emerge from my self-imposed winter hibernation. I walked to work this morning, for the first time in a long while, with a determined Monday motivation. The soft breeze caressed my bare legs, my shades firmly in place, a new Coach bag on my shoulder – I was a girl on a mission. Seize the day! Humorous warm weather memories caused a few chuckles along the way; I hope that the passers-by thought I looked happy, not crazy.* My Ipod played the best music, as if it felt the warm weather relief too. It is amazing what a little sun can do to my demeanor.

With the return of the sun in the D.C. area, I wonder how people do it, in those areas of the world where the sun sets for the entire winter. Or, in this Italian town which came up with an ingenious invention.

Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder is a serious condition, one that I simply speak of in jest in this post. It affects an estimated 6% of the United States population, mostly females between the ages of 15 and 55.

The good news is, that at least here in D.C., it seems the winter tide has turned. We should be ok until at least September, or until the summer humidity pushes us back into a different kind of hibernation!


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* I’ll share one of those memories with you: many years ago I was at a friend’s hot tub/pool party and this guy was hitting on me all night. Early on I found out that his father is a Methodist minister. I proceeded to sing “Son of a Preacher Man” all night long, which got louder and more boisterous in proportion to my alcohol content. Not that I was interested, but I never heard from him again.