Spring Promotes Health and Happiness

By Daniel Taverne

Sniff…sniff…. Ahhhh! There’s something in the air. Something that makes us all a little lighter on our feet, more eager to look into the wind letting our hair (if we have it) blow back, and more willing to do that spring cleaning that our lives have been needing for so long!

This last thing shapes our attitudes in some interesting ways, because there’s a sense of satisfaction that comes with making the cluttered areas of our lives a little more organized. That being said, it’s the wonderful sights and sounds of spring that fuels an internal drive, making true happiness seem more possible now than any other part of year. Ultimately, the old and dead is swept up, bagged up, put out on the street, and is replace with budding trees and green lawns. Yes, like a magic assembly, new life is brought forth for all of us to enjoy.

Thankfully, we humans are a part of this assembly. Like clock work, we assemble in our yards; working on our gardens and lawns, and we send friendly waves to our neighbors whom (except for occasional glimpses of them while quickly darting to and from their cars trying to stay out of the cold) we haven’t seen in a season.

Now, it’s about time for my neighbor to come over asking to borrow my rake, and even though I know I’ll never see it in one piece again, I’ll happily loan it to him because the freshness of the season just makes me friendlier. I won’t even mind stepping on the colon cigars left on my lawn by my neigh bors dog because I know later this spring, I will use them for practicing my golf swing with my 1 wood, and try making holes in one in my neighbors mail-box.

Adding to my jovial spirit are the birds I hear whistling mating songs out in the yard. They sound so nice that I don’t even mind watching them decorate the paint-job of my car like flying Picasso’s, creating an impressionist masterpiece that seems to be a continuous work in progress all summer long. For now though, my gleefulness is not phased because spring is new life, and a new attitude that says, “Good will is to prevail”!

Fortunately, I’m not alone in my thinking. As a matter of fact, this is the time of year that many of us men attempt to spread this spring induced good will to others. You see, we’ve spent so much time spring cleaning, it only makes sense that we invite buddies over giving them the opportunity to flee the soft, cleaned, pampered, civilized world of their wives kitchens in search of the wild dangerous and dirty outdoors, to commune with nature (in a real way) by grilling in the back yard. I believe men feel the need for this more than women.

Think about it, women have their pictures of nature to look at, their windows to look out, they have their soft, warm carpet beneath their feet, and these things keep them happy. We men have these too, but we can only take so much of it before we go stir crazy; needing to feel the wind in our faces to feel the sun on the backs of our necks, to feel free and unencumbered by modern trappings.

When this happens, and the back yard grill no longer fills the need, we take it a step further and load up our Mountaineers and minivans with our Tents, camp stoves, sleeping bags, lighters, flashlights, portable radios and televisions, fishing poles, tackle boxes, coolers of food and even beer, all so we can spend a few days being one with nature.

Now I know all men don’t actually do this, but a lot of men (and women) do! And why shouldn’t they when the escape is a self medicating indulgence that is fun, healthy and safe? If you aren’t one that participates in nature like this you should be.

And, spring is the perfect time of year to do it because the bugs aren’t all awake yet, it’s not too hot yet, and if you drive out to the right place, you can even go swimming. Let me tell you, nothing can refresh and re-energize your soul like swimming in a cold spring lake. If you find you can’t do this though, simply take a walk on a cool, crisp spring morning and breathe deeply the air that sustains all life.

Choosing to do this could become a habit which could benefit your health physically, mentally and emotionally. As you may know, many people find walking to be a beneficial activity that makes them feel (strangely enough) both relaxed and energized at the same time.

If you begin walking in your neighborhood though, you might want to carry a stick with you because neighborhood dogs are also feeling the euphoria of the season and could potentially greet your leg with either its teeth, or with unwanted “loving’ advances. What ever you do though, get out and enjoy the season because soon enough, spring will be gone for another year, and you might look back wondering what could have been.