Cold enough for you?
Yes, once again it is time for that and all the other seasonal platitudes to come back into, um, season. Winter may, officially, be a month away, but the temperature in my little corner of the world (West Yorkshire, U.K.) have taken a nosedive
We have frost, we have ice, we have…snow. So, yes, it’s time for that rant again.
Full Stop
Those of you who have had the questionable taste to follow these inane ramblings for any amount of time will possibly remember that I don’t get on with snow.
As a wheelchair user, I find the picturesque blanket of pristine white to be far too cold and far too wet. If it were warm and dry (and possibly scrumdiddlyumptious to boot) then I’d have far less of an issue with it. It still wouldn’t be my favourite thing, and it would still probably stop me from getting about as I would like, but it wouldn’t be quite as bad.
As it is, when I looked out the window on Monday night to see a steady blizzard float from the sky all innocent and pretty and lay like a tractionless, frozen carpet along the route I take to walk Bonnie, our Springador (that’s half Springer Spaniel, half Labrador and 100% complete nutter), I immediately knew said pooch was out of luck.
Snow stops me.
Freedom!
Luckily, apart from digging the car out to take Tina, my wife, the very walkable distance to work, I had no plans for the following couple of days. In fact including taking Tina to work, I still had no plans (sorry love, it was never happening). In fact, until this coming weekend, I would class myself as astoundingly unburdened.
Not that it matters.
I had nowhere to go, and no desire to go there. The minute the snow started to settle, however, that all changed. Suddenly, the day spent on the sofa with the laptop on my knee, and the world wide web in front of me seemed restrictive. Suddenly I was trapped. A prisoner. Suddenly all I wanted was my freedom, even if I had no plans to exercise it.
Busy Doing Nothing
There’s a difference, you see, between ‘could’ and ‘can’. A difference between ‘can’t’ and ‘won’t’. One wrapped up in agency, ability, and choice. As a disabled man (and people with other disabilities than mine may well find the same) it’s something I’ve butted up against before, and even with my endless patience, grace, and goodwill (?), it still rankles. The decision is taken away from me. The options shut down. It can be weather conditions, a badly planned bit of architecture, or even an ill-considered policy, but each time it leaves me feeling helpless, powerless, confined and controlled. Not nice.
As it is, when I looked out the window on Monday night to see a steady blizzard float from the sky all innocent and pretty and lay like a tractionless, frozen carpet along the route I take to walk Bonnie, our Springador (that’s half Springer Spaniel, half Labrador and 100% complete nutter), I immediately knew said pooch was out of luck.
Snow stops me.
Freedom!
Luckily, apart from digging the car out to take Tina, my wife, the very walkable distance to work, I had no plans for the following couple of days. In fact including taking Tina to work, I still had no plans (sorry love, it was never happening). In fact, until this coming weekend, I would class myself as astoundingly unburdened.
Not that it matters.
I had nowhere to go, and no desire to go there. The minute the snow started to settle, however, that all changed. Suddenly, the day spent on the sofa with the laptop on my knee, and the world wide web in front of me seemed restrictive. Suddenly I was trapped. A prisoner. Suddenly all I wanted was my freedom, even if I had no plans to exercise it.
Busy Doing Nothing
There’s a difference, you see, between ‘could’ and ‘can’. A difference between ‘can’t’ and ‘won’t’. One wrapped up in agency, ability, and choice. As a disabled man (and people with other disabilities than mine may well find the same) it’s something I’ve butted up against before, and even with my endless patience, grace, and goodwill (?), it still rankles. The decision is taken away from me. The options shut down. It can be weather conditions, a badly planned bit of architecture, or even an ill-considered policy, but each time it leaves me feeling helpless, powerless, confined and controlled. Not nice.
Luckily, the snow has melted away over the last couple of days. It continues to be cold enough to make my fingers burn against the metal wheel rims of my ‘chair, but it continues to be just warm enough to get rid of the white terror; something I’m eternally grateful for.
As I’ve said. I’ve nowhere to go, and nothing much to do, at least until the weekend, but, if I wanted to I could go out. I can walk the dog. I could go for a drive. I could get my coat on and go for a nice long trundle, maybe call in at the pub for a drink. I could go Christmas shopping, or visit the local library.
I mean,…I could.
Until next time.
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think.
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
As I’ve said. I’ve nowhere to go, and nothing much to do, at least until the weekend, but, if I wanted to I could go out. I can walk the dog. I could go for a drive. I could get my coat on and go for a nice long trundle, maybe call in at the pub for a drink. I could go Christmas shopping, or visit the local library.
I mean,…I could.
Until next time.
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think.
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
No comments:
Post a Comment