As the short days and frigid nights of January loom ahead,
I reminisce of childhood winters when being outside was
not such an objectionable notion. As my parents did before
me, I often impart to my daughter stories of my winter
adventures playing outside all day in the snow, even after
supper if it was a clear night with a full moon. I never
thought I would get old enough to say, “When I was a child
we…” But, it happened. Here I am, a middle-aged woman
gazing out the window at the snow laden trees, nostalgically
reminiscing. I know why I don’t like the outdoors in
winter; I don’t like the cold. It causes my joints to ache and
just thinking about trudging from the house to the garage
makes me tired. But, why is it those youngsters don’t play
outside much anymore? Why don’t they enjoy the snow as
we did when I was a child?
further and further apart with each generation. Is it solely
because of modernization? Do those new inventions which
promised to make our lives easier and less complicated
actually complicate our lives? Or, it is that we have so many
entertainment choices inside that we don’t need to go outside
except to move from point A to point B, from home to
work, school, church, shopping, movies. Certainly, we now
have most anything we want right at our fingertips. We can
reach most anyone in an instant, even if she is on another
continent. News reaches us almost as soon as it happens, and
sometimes as it happens. We can access movies on demand
and books without going to the library. If we do elect to
exit our homes for entertainment, we can hop in our cars
and easily navigate the sometimes treacherous Aroostook
County roads with confidence and head to town or even
to Portland. Now remember, I am speaking of Aroostook
I wonder why it is that our connections to each other grow County drivers not those drivers from away who refuse to
8
WINTER 2016