The weather is a part of nature, however, I think it might also be a part of human nature. There have been a number of times when wandering that the weather has changed my mood as often as it changed its own mood. What is it about the weather that affects us? Here in the Canadian Maritimes we recently experienced a crazy winter storm. In Kings County, NB the storm did not necessarily hit us the hardest but it still walloped us with a wild and windy punch.
Shortly after family dinner, I decided I should shovel the drive way. I have found it much easier to shovel the driveway a couple of times through a snowfall event rather than shovel it once at the end of the storm. As I prepared to go out to shovel I nudged the kids into coming out with me. I quickly shoveled the driveway out and then played with the kids. It is bizarre how wild weather can bring out the kid in you. The kids were already laughing and having a blast in the winter blast and I couldn't help but join them.
I decided to bury my head in the snow and show the kids how quiet and less windy it is under the drifts. We looked like a bunch of ostriches with our heads in the sand but the kids were amazed at how quiet and warm it was. As a car drove by, I wondered what they thought when they seen us with our heads in the snow. I couldn't help but grin broadly.
My son ran to the snow bank in the back yard and wanted to show me how high in was. I have to admit it was impressive, likely about 4.5ft in height. It ran the entire length of the house and a snow bank that brother created when he plowed my driveway. We all climbed the high snow pile and jumped into the drift. I was instantly transported back to my early teens when I would do a front flip into such a snow drift. On my second jump, at almost 40 years old, I completed a front flip into the drift. It wasn't graceful but the judges were generous and gave me a 7.
What made me do the front flip? What made me go out in a driving snow storm to play with the kids? Why did I grin like a kid the whole time out there? These questions have came to mind in the past. I've never found a great answer. The only thing I come up with is that being outside affects our brain makes us feel younger. With this thought, I've often felt that maybe simply being outdoors more is the secret to staying young. Maybe natural surroundings are a fountain of youth.
What do you think? Is it human nature to be in nature?
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