Once again, February has arrived. I often say that February in Geneva, N.Y., may be the shortest month of the year, but man, somehow it feels like the longest. The days are cold (usually) and the nights colder.
The good news is we are getting about one extra minute of additional daylight each day. The bad news is we’re still getting a lot of 5:30 or 6 o’clock darkness. Did I mention the cold? Oh, it can also snow ... and snow.
Still, this is supposed to be a positive column, so I will get rolling with the good things about living in Geneva and the Finger Lakes during the second month of the year.
I’m going to put on my Boomer hat here and say that Februarys now aren’t nearly as bad as when I was kid. Back in the day, my friends and I had to walk through feet and feet of snow to get to school. Plus, it was uphill both ways! For some reason the last few years, the Februarys in this area have been mild. Still, even mild is yucky, especially if it’s cloudy and there’s not a lot of light. Light can play an important role in happiness.
I personally find having a bright seasonal mood light around can help pep me up. Your results may vary.
Now, after rambling a bit, I’m going to explain the positive things about February.
First, to quote Kelly Clarkson (who is quoting Nietzsche), “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger … ” Dealing with Upstate New York February weather definitely makes us strong. That’s one of the reasons why we can tolerate year after year of the Bills not winning a Super Bowl.
Cold makes us tough. Plus, some studies show that in cold weather we burn more calories and can lose weight.
If you like winter sports, be it skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing, you can find nearby ski resorts and trails all around us, with Bristol Mountain, Brantling, and Hunt Hollow in our neck of the woods. Bristol just happens to be the location of my most embarrassing moment in high school.
After being sick for the first three weeks of ski club, I lied to the cute ski instructor and told her, “I know how to ski.” (Spoiler: I did not.) I knew so little about skiing I did not know the chairlift didn’t stop to let you off.
Long story short: I ended up at the top of Rocket. I tried to ski down. My ski fell off and skied down the mountain. I proceeded to walk down the mountain. But Kelly Clarkson and Nietzsche were right. It didn’t kill me, and I was stronger … well, at least wiser. I owe that to February and winter.
Winter has a way of getting rid of pesky bugs. OK, not a huge plus, but a plus nonetheless.
The cold and snow makes our houses more affordable — even those houses on the lake. Speaking of the lake, Seneca Lake is beautiful in the winter when it has a bit of ice on it. There’s a certain calm feeling about being at the lake when it’s a bit frosted over.
That’s one of the cool (pardon the pun) things about winter in general. It tends to calm things down all around. It allows us to store energy and charge up for the coming spring and summer.
John Zakour lives in Geneva. He is a freelance humor writer with a bachelor’s in computer science from SUNY Potsdam and a master’s in human behavior. He is a chief happiness practitioner. He has sold thousands of gags to strips and magazines and had over 50 books published. He writes his own syndicated comic, “Working Daze,” which has anywhere from 30K-100K daily readers. His “Positive Vibes” column runs every Thursday. Contact him at johnzakour@gmail.com. Or, check out his blog at workingdaze.blogspot.com.
POSITIVE VIBES: Positive things about February in Geneva
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01.02.2024
Once again, February has arrived. I often say that February in Geneva, N.Y., may be the shortest month of the year, but man, somehow it feels like the longest. The days are cold (usually) and the nights colder.
The good news is we are getting about one extra minute of additional daylight each day. The bad news is we’re still getting a lot of 5:30 or 6 o’clock darkness. Did I mention the cold? Oh, it can also snow ... and snow.
Still, this is supposed to be a positive column, so I will get rolling with the good things about living in Geneva and the Finger Lakes during the second month of the year.
I’m going to put on my Boomer hat here and say that Februarys now aren’t nearly as bad as when I was kid. Back in the day, my friends and I had to walk through feet and feet of snow to get to school. Plus, it was uphill both ways! For some reason the last few years, the Februarys in........
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