When I was your age….

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When I was your age….

February, 2010

I am sure at one point in your childhood you were on the receiving end of stories that began “when I was your age…” Elders often take the responsibility to pass history onto future generations through storytelling very seriously.

Stories from the good old days often are about, ironically, overcoming hardship and adversity. “Remember the winter of 78’?” or “I had to walk two miles to school in the snow.”

Usually Ohio winters provide sufficient adversity and substance for the creation of such stories. The mild winter we are currently experiencing leaves me reminiscing over winters past. While leafing through one of my old journals I came across this story to share.

Cold Day
How much like an astronaut I feel today, dependent on my space ship home for life support, unable to leave without my space suit to survive in the elements. It is 7 AM, Friday, January 17,(year not recorded, early 1990’s), temperature ­7°, wind chill ­ 40°.

It’s frustrating not to be able to come and go as I please. No, I have to contemplate how I will go, if I will go, how long it will take and what I will wear. Thinking, planning, and preparing, all this just to get to work!

Packing my astronaut lunch, I include a thermos of cocoa to share with my fellow inmates. But if I drink it I will have to go which means leaving the office and running outdoors to another building 30’ away to use the bathroom. What a dilemma, to cocoa or not to cocoa? Life is spartan enough this winter, let’s enjoy this treat.

Now for the space suit: Over top of my clothes go ski pants, moon boots, vest and parka, fur-lined aviator hat, scarf, face mask, and heavy gloves. Breathing is the worst part of this adventure. To protect my lungs I must breathe through the protective fabric covering my mouth. The face mask forces steam to escape around my nose, freeze onto my eyelashes, and makes an icy halo around my fir trimmed face.

Fingers get turtled (drawn in like a turtle into the shell) into the glove palms, gloves are then turtled into the coat sleeves. I become a faceless, handless astronaut.

The black fur aviator hat has ear flaps that clip under my chin; the rabbit fur covers chin, cheeks and ears. With this fur around my face, I appreciate the value of a beard even though I am unable to grow one.

No thought of even trying to start my car. It is a diesel lacking a heat blanket to keep the fuel from gelling in the extreme cold. I look forward to walking one mile through the 4-H Camp Palmer woods and fields to my office over the moon-like landscape to see what I can and to say “I have done it!”

Now that’s what I call winter!

Keep cabin fever at bay; join the Heritage Trails Park District to learn about Bluebirds on Thursday, February 11, 7-8 pm, at the St. Marys Community Public Library.

Bluebird expert Larry Dicke will share information about the habits of these birds, housing needs, and dealing with their enemies. Larry is a Master Gardner specializing in bluebirds and monitors a bluebird trail in New Bremen.

This is the first in a series of programs; Winter is for the Birds, sponsored by the Heritage Trails Park District and St. Marys Community Public Library. Everyone is welcome to attend this free program.

Allison Brady, Executive Director
Heritage Trails Park District
Your partner for parks in Auglaize County