One day, it’s 78 and sunny, the next–17 with snow flurries. While that statement could describe any time of the year in Ohio, it brings about a reality for students and faculty alike: our climate can impact our day-to-day lives.
While the good part about the weather is that if you don’t like it, you can just wait and it will change; that too has consequences we overlook. Routine is centric to our lives, whether it is in excess or if there is a lacking of it, routine impacts us.
All my routines get thrown in a washing machine with a brick every two months. I do very well in warmer climates, going out everyday, checking off most of my daily to-do list, socializing comfortably and pursuing my interests.
I certainly don’t have the capacity to just up and move, but boy, has this year been pushing me toward that. I spent the first two months and a bit more with a sinus infection. Just two days ago I think I’ve started my yearly allergies.
What’s amazing is that these difficulties are very location based for me. I breathe easy out in the climate of California, I also enjoy not freezing at every instance on public transportation or about a city.
Why does Ohio have to be such a cruel mistress? Affordable, quality education, low property taxes, decent job market, enjoyable communities–but this weather is killer. I hate being two separate people in these climates.
It can often feel like you can’t breathe when a season hits, metaphorically and or literally. It’s hard to love a place when your body sends you all these signs it’s just not the place for you.
But, everyone has to make their concessions. One of my realizations, upon flying out Sunday evening around 11:00 p.m. and arriving in Dayton around 12:00 p.m., is that the weather distances me from realizing my own potential.
Harking back to last week’s column, which I always think about how I could have made better, it made me realize something. If you are a seasonally affected person, you can be tricked into losing site of your aspirations.
I get caught up changing my lifestyle to get through the seasons while minimizing sickness, making sure I’m eating enough and staying warm, that I often don’t give myself time to focus on what I want in life.
How do I pay the bills, do I have enough winter clothing, where did I put my gloves, is there going to be ice today, did I take my allergy medicine, did I fill up a thermos, am I doing enough physical exercise? All of these are a lot of time for me I could spend on other tasks.
So, what I’ve done is dedicate a few minutes of my day where I try and think about something I want in life. You don’t even need to worry about how you’re going to get it. To me, it’s important just to have that want. You need some spark to get through the season that gives you the most trouble.
You cannot let the literal clouds cloud your goals, your desires or simply what you enjoy about your life.
Despite my only two shades of skin tone being glow-in-the-dark-neon-white and Larry-the-Lobster, I love the sun. Not having that nice air and sunlight can make some days challenging for me. Sinclair doesn’t have a very sun-friendly campus, so you’ve got to make the most of what you can.
I’m looking into just getting one of those UV lamps so I can have some of the effect while it’s “The Day After Tomorrow”-like outside. A humidifier also helps me. I have poor lungs and struggle with dry air to the point of incurring nosebleeds, often even during classes.
Although Sinclair has no dorms or the like, many students live in smaller areas and apartments, so there are awesome small humidifiers that work with just a refillable water bottle. Small solutions to seasonal problems can make big differences.
Barton Kleen
Executive Editor