Have you ever woken up and it was so cold outside that you just had to crawl back in bed, as if you were retreating from the advancing attack of air? These days, many homes have central heat & air and their occupants don’t have to worry about that so much.
We live in an old house. Despite the heater in the attic blasting away, we’re still susceptible to those attacks by that chilly air. I got up extra early this morning. I had a long list of chores to take care of at work, so I needed to get a head start. Despite the early hour, I was still delayed a bit in starting the day because I retreated too. It was an adventure to slip out of bed so I wouldn’t disturb the blankets and dash to the wardrobe to silence the alarm. Once the noise was gone, I dashed back to the bed and eased back underneath the warm blankets for a few more minutes of comfort.
It’s this kind of weather that makes me think of this song that I used to play back in my radio days. “Cafe on the corner” wasn’t Sawyer Brown’s biggest hit, but it was a catchy tune from the early 90’s. Somewhere in between the chorus and the verses, is a line “…and the coffee is cold. And he’s 50 years old.” It’s all about a sad little community where the farmers are calling it quits and the town is dying. It’s not exactly a cheer ’em up tune. Why that line keeps sticking in my head, I don’t know.
By the time I got to work at 8am, Tom Miller said it was 31 degrees and windy in Sherman. I’m already planning a lunch hour of retreat, just for good measure.
Charlie Haldeman 