New Character Inspiration
For us here in the North East United States the winter has arrived. Some years we get almost no snow and just stick to frigid temperatures and some years it is more reminiscent of my childhood and we get a decent amount of the fluffy white stuff. When I was a kid I despised the winter, hated the cold, wanted nothing to do with snow. As an adult I didn’t realize that stemmed from being a poor kid without proper attire to actually be in the environment we lived in. I would walk to school wearing my Chucks, feet freezing and soaked and I would spend my day cold and miserable. My coat was often a jean jacket or a leather thing that I thought was cool, fully unsuited to the winter. It wasn’t until I was an adult, and really not that long ago that I got a decent pair of boots, waterproof, insulated and it changed things. I could go outside without being cold. What does this have to do with a new character?……
I enjoy going for long walks at night in the middle of snow storms. I find it beautiful and magical. My wife says I probably look like I am in a music video because I like to stop and stand under street lights like I am in a snow globe or stare off bridges into the middle distance. On one of these walks a few days ago as I trudged along in the wind filled darkness, swirls of snow masking the world away and enjoying the peace and solitude I remembered the story of the Cailleach. Goddess of the cold and the wind, Queen of Winter. Sounds fearsome but I am crossing her with my great grandmother Luvy just to balance things out. Granny Calli is going to be a nice old woman in the woods collecting wood and enjoying the deep snow. She may also have fluffernutter sandwiches for Lu & Dag every time she sees them.
One final thought on my change of attitude when it comes to winter and the cold and the snow. Maybe two… As an adult I am much more inclined to enjoy the turning of the wheel, the seasons changing and what each means and what changes it brings. I also ran across a saying I found very profound a few years ago and it has stuck with me.
If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow.
