Winter=Sad; Happy Weather=Happy People

Winter is depressing. I didn't fully understand that thought until I spent the season alone. For instance, today, the first warm, enjoyable-weathered day in a long time (that I wasn't stuck at work late) and my nightly routine completely changed. Nothing happened to put me in a good mood, work was a routinely normal day. I just had the urge to do things differently, different from cuddling myself up in a blanket and watching Friends and Scrubs episodes that I've seen dozens of times already, while really zoning off in my head and not watching at all. My evening was very nice. I read for a while out on my deck, enjoying the cool breeze, and played my piano for a while with the window open behind me, learning some new Disney songs and finding inspiration for new Laura originals. It's amazing what the weather can do to us. Back to my beginning point, though. I hadn't realized what a hermit crab I had become until recently. Seriously, the only places I would go (besides work and my apartment) were either Target or Walmart, depending on what supplies I needed. Well, and St. Louis too, I would go there. Which brings me to my next point of realizing what a shut-in I am. Without friends or family around it makes it that much harder to do things. Anything. Especially in the cold dark winter. Even silly things like, I don't like running here at night, when I would do it all the time back home. If something happened here no-one would think twice about me until I didn't show up for work. Now, yes, I realize that logic is partially flawed because it is quite probable that something could happen while running at night in St. Louis (probably more likely actually), but there is just something about knowing people are within calling distance to come and save me pending a broken leg or whatever happens while running. Anyways, I'm slightly sick so forgive me if this is not making any sense. The main just is that winter makes life sadder. I know people always say it and that it's commonly known information that people are more depressed during winter, but I am (and suppose always will be) one of those people that has to experience it myself before truly believing it. Not that I thought it was dumb or false, it just didn't have meaning for me until recent. I always tell my kids without background knowledge of what someone is saying the depth of their knowledge will not be as great (in less fancy terms). That's why activating prior knowledge is so important. Gosh, I don't even know why I'm talking about that. You know it's time for bed when you stop making sense of your own writing. Remember, personal experience + prior knowledge = meaningful life. Man, I'm a loser.