Winter thoughts+feature

I've recently been learning to be at peace with the seasons/weather that previously made me miserable (basically anything that makes me cold or makes tasks more challenging). I've been thinking, though, that this misery can mostly be chalked up to what I would call a (specifically human) social ego, which wishes - in an expectant sort of way - that the Earth itself might work to every unnatural human convenience. My new approach, which has resulted in a lot less misery, is to change my lifestyle to suit the seasons/weather, and to recognize that what amounts to an inconvenience to me is quite a serious plight to those whose needs are less adequately met than my own. Statistically, this is the most depressing time of the year, and not just because of the reduced exposure to full spectrum lighting, or because we tend to let Winter make our lives generally more difficult, but also because there is so much social pressure to participate in the commercial popularity contest we call Christmas. So, I've decided to leave all that behind me and learn to spend my Winters focusing on communities, the metaphysical, and relaxation. It's working out pretty good so far.