Spring Hopeful

Does anyone else experience that overwhelming sense of exuberance when the spring weather hits?  Do you feel your optimism start to climb, your overall feeling of happiness start to increase, and your desire to get out and do things expand exponentially? 

Before I go any further, yes, I am perfectly aware that it is only January, and because the weather in Pullman is notorious for throwing its residents some killer curve balls (anyone else remember the snow day in June?) I have no doubt in my mind that winter won't go down without a fight.  But as often as I tell myself this uncharacteristic glimpse of spring weather is too good to be true, I can't help but get my hopes up that I'll be relieved of the winter doldrums even sooner than expected this year.

I think in my past life I must have been a bear.  Well, maybe that's stretching things a bit, but they're the only animal I can think of off-hand that go into a state of hibernation through the winter months.  Sometimes I feel that's what I do.  During the winter I do what it takes to survive, but my productivity level is noticably lower.  It's harder to get up in the morning because the sun doesn't come out until after 7 a.m., and what is even worse is looking out my office window at 3:45 in the afternoon and watching the sun start to sink behind the hills.  But in the spring and summer months it's suddenly not so hard to wake up at 6 a.m. because I can see the sunlight already streaming through my window.  I can go for a run on my lunch hour because there isn't five feet of snow on the ground to keep me barricaded indoors, and when the sun is still out when it's time to go home.....well, then the possibilities are endless.

I know for a fact that I'm not the only person who feels this way, in fact it's probably difficult to go out and find someone who doesn't enjoy the weather in the springtime more than they do the winter.  But I honestly find it amazing that weather can affect our overall state of being to such a degree.  For me I think the attitude is partially linked to softball.  Nothing could beat the feeling of finally getting outside on the field after months in the gym playing basketball.  The spring and summer months were all about softball games, tournaments, road trips, and all the other little things that go along with organized athletics.  Even though my days of competitive softball are in the past, by the time March rolls around I still get the feeling that I should be outside with my glove, warming up my arm and getting ready for batting practice.  I guess old habits die hard.

I hope the rest of you are feeling as inspired as I am right now.  Right now it's 4:19 p.m. in Pullman and there is still daylight outside, so in my world, things are looking up.