Gathering

[Artemis]

Winter is a time for gathering. When there is no where to go because the snow is piled higher than I am tall, my neighboor with the snowblower is swearing up a blizzard outside my window,and the city is practically shut down, it is easy to want to just crawl into bed, all day sitting listening to music, watching X-Files until I begin to see government conspiracies everywhere, and realizing I have not checked the news in weeks, other than the historic weather we've had, and that there are things going on in the world that I should do something about. That makes me want to crawl even deeper under the covers. No more. Even if I have no power over what goes on in the world, I do have power over myself. "everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one ever thinks of changing themselves".So, Yes, it is winter, hibernation season, but that doesn't mean I can't work on myself. I have begun gathering already. I have gathered:Seeds. Lettuce, carrots, herbs. For my yearly little garden tucked away behind my apartment building. Little morsels of life, waiting, like me, for spring. My part for becoming a more self-sustainable civilization?Music. Rediscovering my passion for all sounds Radiohead and Beyond--again. This happens often. I had not discovered Tomorrow's Modern Boxes until the snow storm a week ago. Just what the cabin fever ordered.Books. Loads of sci-fi. Clarke, Card, Wells, and Anne Leckie's Ancillary Justice. Ayn Rand's manifesto, Anthem gave me some food for thought as well. I am seeking next Vonnegut's Sirens of Titan. While I wait I am reading Xenocide, by Orson Scott Card. By the way, If you are reading this post and you have not read Speaker For the Dead, I recommend it.To be honest, I wonder if I should worry that all this science and prospective fiction is going to my head...am I losing myself in a realm of extreme possibilities, when there is so much extreme reality going on around me? Am I trying to escape?I had a solo dance party today. I realized that I danced like Thom Yorke in his Lotus Flower video, and a little like Noodle in the Gorillaz D.A.R.E video, though no one can perfect those moves...Sleep is presently upon me.Good Night,C.