Groundhog Day 2022: Where would you like to be?

I wrote my first Groundhog Day blog fifteen years ago. Since then, I've enjoyed the intentional tradition of meditating on my various PHILosophies in life through the viewing of the 1993 film Groundhog Day [IMDB].

Usually when I choose a direction for my Groundhog Day articles, it's because some theme jumps out to me on my viewing of the film. Typically, I'll watch the film and feel drawn to a certain interpretation. I then use subsequent viewings to hone in on the theme and form my thoughts on it completely. Today was pleasantly different.

The first line of the film caught me immediately upon my initial viewing and I knew what I would write about this year:

"Somebody asked me today, 'Phil, if you could be anywhere in the world, where would you like to be?' And I said to 'em, 'Probably right here...'"

Admittedly, that line continues and Phil identifies a physical location where he'd like to be, based on its current weather forecast. However, the pause after he states "Probably right here" was just long enough for me to think of the question as if regarding a state of being or place in life.

I briefly mentioned being mindful of the present in my 2013 Groundhog Day reflection. That sense of mindfulness can help us value our actions now as we form our future. I find it important to ask myself every now and the same sort of question that Phil mentions. If the answer to that question is, "Probably right here", then I can take a moment to find contentment with the path that's led to this place in life. If the answer is to a place elsewhere in space or time, then I'll know what to adjust to get where I want to be.

I hope you're feeling happy with where you are in life or at least hopeful for the path you have ahead to get there. Take care in this year ahead, we're not through this strange "winter" just yet.

Groundhog Day 2020: Hope

It's Groundhog Day!
If you're reading this I'm sure you're well aware of my Groundhog Day reflections, so I'll jump right into it....

In the film Groundhog Day [IMDB], when Phil Connors begins his long long day, we watch him first experience confusion, then panic, then he tries to indulge his ego and distract himself from his own shallow existence. Those indulgences and distractions are only temporary and eventually reality hits him with a slap to the face. He crashes into despair and hopelessness. Time and time again, he tries to end his empty experience, even attempting to kill himself in various ways. Eventually, we see him seated with Rita as he confides in her his belief that he is a god, an immortal being, bound to endless torture in a single day.

While amazed at his knowledge of the townspeople, Rita is undaunted in her patience. As they spend the day together, Rita displays her general optimism which is quite contrary to how Phil approaches life at that point in the film. Earlier, Phil was the subject of a spot on observation by Gus in the bowling alley: "You know, some people would see this glass and say it's half full. Other people would say it's half empty. I'm thinking you're a half-empty kind of guy." Gus is right about Phil in at least two ways. Not only is Phil a pessimist -- seeing the glass as half empty, he's also a half-empty person. Phil is so wrapped up in himself that he doesn't see the world around him.

Rita casually mentions how she would use the opportunity to repeat a day. Her optimistic idea nudges Phil to take a new perspective on his experience: "I don't know, Phil. Maybe it's not a curse. It depends on how you look at it." The next morning, he is fresh and excited to embrace his journey as a whole. He leaps out of bed and begins treating every person he can with kindness. Each day is a new day. One new morning, we see him leave his room and answer his fellow hotel guest with the words, "Winter slumbering in the open air, wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!"
That line is from the 19th century poem, I've included here:

Work without Hope
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
February 1825

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair.
The bees are stirring, birds are on the wing.
And Winter slumbering in the open air,
Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!
And I the while, the sole unbusy thing,
Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.

Yet well I ken the banks where amaranths blow,
Have traced the fount whence streams of nectar flow.
Bloom, O ye amaranths! bloom for whom ye may,
For me ye bloom not! Glide, rich streams, away!
With lips unbrightened, wreathless brow, I stroll:
And would you learn the spells that drowse my soul?
Work without Hope draws nectar in a sieve,
And Hope without an object cannot live.

I've written before about the importance of connection and creating purpose for yourself. Those fundamentals are certainly important, but beneath those fundamentals is a foundation of hope. Phil's hopeless pessimism is what destroys his dreams time and time again. He tries to get what he wants, but he never really buys into the journey. He only reaches for the destination. Once Phil embraces his experiences with hope, we see him begin to change as a person. Phil's daily work becomes full of hope, not empty like the result of attempting to catch nectar in a sieve.

Think of this while you pass these last minutes before midnight or while you embrace your new day. What is your Spring? What hope is in your dreams? Will you endure winter in the open air, keeping warm with a dream of Spring?
I think I will. Colorado has a "big blue thing" on its way tonight, so I HOPE I can stay warm with a dream of my Spring, both literal and metaphorical.

Ciao!

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By the way, this year's Groundhog Day has TWO special bonuses!
First, today's date is a palindrome whether you write it 2020-02-02 (yyyy-mm-dd), 02-02-2020 (dd-mm-yyyy), or 02-02-2020 (mm-dd-yyyy).
Second, Bill Murray was in an ad today which played a bit with his role in Groundhog Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnhzGUcENWo
His day sure does look full of hope.

Sometimes things go wrong

I recently reflected on my article about Panic, Luck, and Control. It was good to remind myself of those experiences and to consider the continuing impact of those events. The lessons of mindfulness and awareness of perspective extend beyond life-threatening situations. Today, I had the opportunity to exercise a bit of perspective while experiencing a series of mishaps.


Image source: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst [Goodreads]

Let me begin by saying that this post is not a rant. To put it crudely: shit happens. The mishaps I experienced today were simple and non-threatening. As you'll see, I kept that in mind throughout the day.

I started the day with a vehicle that wouldn't start, probably due to the very cold temperatures in Colorado currently. A minor inconvenience easily remedied with preparedness. So, I grabbed my portable jump-starter (which I own for just such occasions), hooked it up, and got the vehicle started. The primary use of my vehicles is transporting my kids and that's exactly what I needed it for today. So, after picking them up, we were off to get some groceries and necessities.

Shopping with my kids is always very easy; we have a list, we plan meals beforehand, they know how I shop (by value not by brand), and we happily disregard marketing distractions so that we get only what we came for. So, we completed our list, bought what we needed, and went back to the car. Unfortunately, it wouldn't start again.

At this point, I suspect that the issue is worse than the cold, but -- as I have groceries and my children with me -- I need to find a quick solution now and tinker later. I grab the jump starter (which I'd had the forethought to keep with me in the vehicle for this trip), hook it up, and start the car. Yay! Problem solved and time to go home, right? Nope. I got out of the car, flip the switch off for the jump starter, and the vehicle sputters and dies. Weird. Maybe it just needs a little gas to get the engine warm? I jump it again, start the engine successfully, but get the same sputtering death when I flip off the jump starter.

With the vehicle inoperable, my daughter starts to voice a bit of concern and worry. This is where those lessons I mentioned at the start kicked in for me and I now had an opportunity to pass on similar perspective to her. I told her that this kind of things happen. Things break, plans get messed up, money gets spent, and time passes. Change and chaos are a fact of life, a fact of existence in the universe. The thing which we have control over is how we view those stressors. I explained to her that I could easily be frustrated about the car problems, I could be annoyed that our day was getting "ruined", but that frustration and anger wouldn't fix the car nor magically transport us home with the groceries and on with our day. What that frustration and anger could do is destroy whatever is make the experience that much worse.

We discussed an intentional positive focus in our perspective. What was the good news? Well, we were in the parking lot of a place that sold basic car necessities (batteries, tools, cables, etc.) and we were less than a block from an automotive store from which I could even buy engine replacement parts if necessary. My son chimed in that we could even spend more time looking at the toys and games, insisting that there's no way we could get bored.

I proceeded to deal with the car issues, we were in and out of the store multiple times. I borrowed tools, I pulled the battery, and got it tested. Meanwhile, my kids and I had a bite to eat and spent more time together. Coincidentally, while we were wandering the store, we ran into many people we knew and even got acquainted with a few of the associates. It became kind of fun. I got to see multiple friends, meet new people, catch up on news of their holidays, and shared a shrug and a laugh with a friend who was there swapping out his dead-in-the-cold car battery as well.

At one point, when we were back outside, I accidentally dropped one of the borrowed tools into my engine. My daughter's mouth dropped open with surprise and my sons eyes were the size of saucers. I just started laughing and said, "Really?! Really, Indy?! You haven't had enough yet?" I looked over at my kids with a smile, shook my head, and said, "Guess I needed to make things more interesting." They starting cracking up, the worry disappeared from their faces. I struggled and managed to free the tool from the engine compartment and finished what I was doing.

What could have been "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" had turned into a challenging adventure, not of adrenaline and life-or-death circumstance, but of everyday stress. When it was all over, I had less money in the bank than I'd planned to end the day with, but I still had two happy kids and another bad-day-gone-good memory. Sure, I'll have a bit more cleaning up to do after this, financially and vehicularly, but it's just like sweeping up broken glass when you drop a vase. Sometimes things go wrong, but nothing is really bad until the people involved give up and let that brokenness of circumstance enter their minds and hearts.

The Wolf Festival

What's black, white, and red all over?

If it's two goats and a dog, then the answer is "The Wolf Festival", the ancient tradition which gave way to Valentine's Day. ["Lupercalia" - Wikipedia]

Mid-February is Lupercalia, the Wolf Festival, an ancient Roman festival of purification and fertility. During the festival, the Luperci -- the "brothers of the wolf" -- would sacrifice two male goats and a dog. They would then smear the blood of that sacrifice on the faces of new initiates into the Luperci. The initiates would then cut lashes of goat flesh and run through the city. Young women would present themselves along their route in order to be whipped by these lashes, which tradition held would ensure fertility.

Eventually, Lupercalia was banned (along with other out-of-fashion rituals) by Pope Gelasius, but we'll come back to that. Before we move forward into what Lupercalia became (spoiler: Valentine's Day), let's learn about where it may have had its origins.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:She-wolf_suckles_Romulus_and_Remus.jpg

Legend has it that Rome was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus, suckled as infants by a she-wolf. Much of Roman culture was of Greek origin, Lupercalia is no exception. The Luperci formed in honor of this she-wolf (lupa) and Lupercalia was born atop the rituals of a Greek festival of wolf lore called "Lykaia" [Wikipedia]¹.

Back to the future, Christianity eventually became the popular religion, so public displays of the old religions were banned. Many of the festivals and holidays of antiquity were replaced with new Christian equivalents. Winter solstice became Christmas. Spring equinox was replaced by Easter. Harvest festivals, celebrated with the cornucopia of Zeus or the wheat of Ceres, gave way to All Saints Day (and its All Saints Eve, aka Halloween).

When you're supplanting traditions with a multitude of deities and demigods with monotheistic beliefs, it is -- by definition -- easy to get out-numbered. That is, until you throw in your own versions of the divine on Earth: saints. So, Gelasius replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine's Day, in recognition of a few early Christians (name Valentine) who were martyred for their then-unpopular beliefs.

Valentine's Day (and the other "new" holidays) anchored well into society and was largely untouched for almost a thousand years, at least until Chaucer put the spin of chivalry and courtly romance into it.

"For this was Seynt Valentyne's Day. When every foul cometh ther to choose his mate."

The popularity of this idea spread faster than the brief second it actually takes for avian insemination, Valentine's Day became a day of courting and affection.

Over the centuries to follow, Valentine's Day went through a slow metamorphosis into something "new": a ritual of fertility. Now, at the least, I hope that ritual doesn't involve the bloody flesh of a goat. Please let me remain blissfully ignorant, if that is not the case.

---

¹ The Lykaia festival of ancient Greece is part of the legendary heritage of the origin of werewolves. I'm sure it was no coincidence that Anne Rice released her newest novel "The Wolf Gift" yesterday during Lupercalia.

Groundhog Day 2012

"Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cold out there today." -- Radio DJ, Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day! My favorite holiday's favorite rodent prognosticator, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow and foretold six more weeks of Winter. If you've been a long-time reader, you'll remember a previous Groundhog Day article in which I explained the significance of cross-quarter days. While Phil may tell us that Winter will stick around until the equinox this year, we know that today really is the seasonal (not astronomical) start of Spring.

Having recently written an article on "Silly Superstition", you may find it odd that I enjoy the foolhardy festivities of Groundhog Day. However, as I said in that in that very same article, "so long as we recognize a superstition as silliness and not seriousness, we can continue on a path toward understanding".

So, in my usual practice of Groundhog Day reflections, I hope to look forward to these next seasons with a smile. Embrace the fun and adventure of each day and strive not to take things too seriously. Otherwise, some may find themselves caught in an infinite time-loop of Winter until Punxsutawney Phil is satisfied that they've "chilled out".

Perhaps C.G.P. Grey explains things better in his YouTube about Groundhog Day:

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Nl4JFDLOU

Happy Groundhog Day, everyone!

Survive in extreme temperatures

Six months ago, at the June solstice, I wrote "a series of Survival Guides in an attempt to educate and inform readers of wilderness survival techniques". Today, on the day of the December solstice, I would like to revisit the subject of survival.

Photo from telegraph.co.uk [found via Universe Today]

During a solstice, the "tilt" of the Earth is at its greatest angle in relation to its orbit around the Sun. Meaning, the Northern hemisphere is in the depths of Winter and the Southern hemisphere is at the peak of Summer. The solstice is a time of astronomical extremes and so are the conditions on our planet. Inspired by these extremes, I want to give you some guidance in today's article on surviving extreme temperatures.

Whether freezing cold or scorching heat, extreme temperatures stress the human body to death. Though apparent opposites, heat and cold cause similar problems. The human body is a system run at a consistent core temperature, any environment outside the usual comfort limits to this system causes the body to have to work harder to maintain its core temperature.

We have at least three options when it comes to our process of temperature maintenance:

1. Change our environment/location to bring it within our comfort limit.
2. Provide our bodies with the resources necessary to continue to operate under the demands of increased work.
3. Do nothing, risking the possibility that our body will fail to meet the new demands. Said simply: Death.

Regardless of the temperature, we need to address these basic components: shelter, water, and first-aid. Shelter allows us to insulate ourselves against the extremes (option 1). Water is a necessity for maintaining our internal system (option 2). First-aid allows us to treat any damage the environment may have caused to our bodies, injury and illness puts our body at greater risk, stressing it further.


SHELTER
Finding shelter is important in both heat and cold. In times of heat, it will shield you from the Sun and help you keep a little cooler. In times of cold, shelter will help stay warm and protect you from rain or snow.

"Shelter" is not only physical standing structures, shelter can refer to clothing as well. It's all about environmental comfort. When keeping warm, remember the COLD acronym:

CLEAN - Dirt weighs down clothing, decreasing the amount of air between one layer and the next. Air is essential to insulate the body and keep in the heat.
OVERHEATING - If you overheat your body, you'll begin to sweat. The moisture will cool you faster, not a good thing when trying to stay warm. Keep things comfortable, not hot.
LAYERS - Keep your layers loose. It's important to keep your blood flowing easily. It will help to circulate your core temperature and keep your extremities warm.
DRY - Any moisture, including sweat, cools the skin and collapses the layers of clothing.

Clothing is important for keeping cool as well. If trying to stay cool, clothing will help slow the evaporation of sweat. Additionally, clothing will protect your skin from the direct sunlight. Beware not to wear too much clothing though; cover what you are able, but don't overheat yourself further.


WATER
As I said in my article about Finding Water:

You should drink about two liters of water per day (2 L ≈ .5 gal) under normal circumstances. In more strenuous situations, you should intake four to six liters per day; "strenuous" describes anything outside tolerable temperatures (21°C ≈ 70°F) or stress levels (physical or mental). Basically, drink 2 liters when you're feeling average; more if you're not feeling average.

Staying hydrated is one of the most important steps to ensuring your survival. In addition to what I've already addressed in my related article, here are some other guidelines:

- Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol; those drinks will take more moisture from you than they offer.
- Do not eat/drink frozen water (e.g. snow or ice). If you do consume frozen water, you'll decrease your core body temperature, which your body then has to fight to restore. So, melt first!
- If trying to stay warm, avoid getting your clothes and skin wet when finding or consuming water.

FIRST-AID
Frost bite, sun burn, and exhaustion are a few of the dangers you face in extreme environmental conditions. I wrote about common ailments in my Wilderness First Aid article, be sure to supplement that knowledge with the following tips:

- Be careful with your skin. Both frost bite and sun burn are similar in their effect on the body.
- Don't ever rub damaged skin, you'll cause even more damage.
- Wear loose clothing so that you don't restrict blood flow.
- When trying to rewarm frost-bite, do NOT use hot water. Ideally, use water between 38°C (≈100°F) to 41°C (≈106°F).

Please take care in all times of year, especially when facing environmental extremes. Always try to stay informed of possible changes in weather and always plan/pack for the worst-case scenario whenever you leave your home (even if only a "quick trip").

Winter solstice lunar eclipse

Two nights ago, people across North and South America, as well as some parts of Europe and the Pacific islands, had eyes on the sky watching a lunar eclipse. To make things even more exciting, one could note that it was also the Northern hemisphere's winter solstice. Those two events occur in every year, but the last time they occurred at the same time was in 1638; a fact documented in-person by Galileo.

"A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks the sun's rays from striking the moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle." [Lunar eclipse article - Wikipedia].

"The winter solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, the term is also a turning point to midwinter or the first day of winter to refer to the day on which it occurs. More evident to those in high latitudes, this occurs on the shortest day and longest night, when the sun's daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest." [Winter solstice article - Wikipedia].

I enjoy observing the moon frequently throughout the year, especially during a lunar eclipse; Monday night was no different. I made my way to one of my favorite locations in Fort Collins, Colorado: Horsetooth Reservoir. Once there, I set up my telescope and settled in for a 2-3 hour show. I wasn't the only person looking up from Horsetooth Reservoir that night; the lot was packed with people of all ages, there individually or with their family and/or friends.

Initially, I was somewhat worried that cloud cover would prevent Fort Collins from having a clear view of the moon, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the clouds dissipate just prior to the start of the eclipse.

It's quite common for the full moon to appear a different color during an eclipse. For this one it was a blood red; almost taking on the appearance of Mars. Throughout the night, I invited people to look through my telescope at the moon as the Earth passed between it and the Sun. Some people commented that they "had never seen the moon up close before" nor in "so much detail"; I was happy that I could give them an opportunity to appreciate the wonders of our universe that much more.

The night was beautifully lit under the full moon, almost as if twilight had come again, but the darkness fell as the eclipse progressed and I was stunned to see so many stars; more stars visible than I have ever seen from that location before. Beneath the moon's spectacle, you could clearly see the constellation Orion; his arm seemed to be reaching out to touch the moon. Stretching across the sky I could barely make out the Milky Way. Adding even more wonderment to the sky, the trails of meteors flashed here and there and the faint waves of Aurora were visible along the Northern horizon.

As the moon began to leave the Earth's shadow, the clouds began to gather again; acting as a closing curtain on the celestial stage. I packed up my things and turned on the radio to hear one of my favorite songs begin to play: "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve; a calming end to a extraordinary evening.

Groundhog Day 2009

As another Groundhog Day draws to a close, I urge you to take a deep breath as you reflect on the experiences of Life. In these difficult times, it is easy to feel that Winter is never-ending and Spring will always be one more day further away. Remember, though, that it is the warmth from within which helps us to withstand the cold; and if you bundle yourself tightly against the howling winds, sharing your warmth with those around you, you will survive the seemingly endless Winter night.

And when that Spring morning finally comes, you will see that the day has been made brighter by its contrast to the harsh darkness of Winter; and the glow of the sun will feel even warmer as you share in it with those who you hold most dear.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Groundhog Day 2007

Good morning and happy Groundhog Day!

Believe it or not, Groundhog Day is actually my favorite holiday. Groundhog Day to me is my New Year celebration. No, I don't mean that my calendar begins on February 2nd, I mean that this is the day that I set new goals and aspirations for myself in the coming year. This is a practice very similar to making resolutions on January 1st of each year, but also a rebellion against that as -- stereotypically -- people tend to lose interest or faith in their New Year's resolutions.

My Groundhog Day is a day to catch yourself in your faultering and reset. Get back on track and hit this year running! And this year you might even get an extra bonus as Punxsutawney Phil (the most famous prognosticating groundhog) has predicted an early spring for 2007.

Happy Groundhog Day!