Skip to main content

Cedar Fever


Cedar trees must be singing "I Will Survive" at the top of their collective lungs this year.  The pollen is thick and flowing.  You can see it in the sky and feel it in your entire body—aches, sneezes, congestion, headache, coughing, chest tightness, and general malaise.  Everyone I talk to is commenting on it and I see the evidence every where I go. 

I too am suffering from cedar fever.  I walk around like a person ready to make a speech- um, um, I say UHMM as I clear my throat for the 100th time this morning.  Followed by a sneeze for emphasis.  The symptoms fluctuate between headache and congestion to sneezing and coughing with watery eyes, tiredness and aches.

The sheer amount of pollen this year leads me to believe the cedar trees are in full out defense mode.  They must have heard the rumors and attacks in the Austin American Statesmen in letters to the editor suggesting we tear out all those water-sucking cedar trees because of the drought.  They heard and as soon as the rain started, they started producing pollen.  They are determined to be impossible to tear out. 

And who can blame them.  We all struggle for survival.  We all want to continue to exist with no regard for how our existence might affect other species.  I know I don't consider how my life and my needs impact every other living organism.  I consider only things like trees and plants because I know I am dependent on them.  So I too am singing "I Will Survive" in spite of cedar fever.
 
Labels:

Comments

  1. Dennis TardanJanuary 22, 2014 at 9:45 AM

    That's a wonderful perspective, taking them off the "enemies" list. Much more constructive for my inner peace. The fewer "enemies" I am carrying around, the better. I can still protect myself without feeling malevolence everywhere!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overwhelmed

I had been chiding myself or really driving myself crazy trying to figure out how to address the torrent of shocking, frightening, unbelievable new policies, orders and changes to our society.  I have been zooming back and forth – a call here, a letter there, a petition, protests, town halls, posting – trying to figure out what I can do.  The feeling of inadequacy is compounded by my physical limitations.  This morning I realized that if I had 500 times the energy and 1000 times the physical strength, stamina, and fitness I still wouldn’t be able to address all that I care about.  There is simply too much.    There are numerous things that touch on my personal life, things that hurt people I know and love, and things that are wrong and impact many people.  I am for free speech, civil rights, reproductive rights, voting rights, equality, a welcoming immigration system, a government that works for the people.  I care about education, social servic...
1 comment
Read more

Harborsick

I feel harborsick.  I am not homesick because I don't really feel a sense of home anywhere.  I read books about people who are so comfortable and familiar in their towns, homes, work, and relationships and I don't feel that right now.  I do feel that there are familiar harbors – people and places that I feel comfortable and "at home" with.   But, I don't have a spot I long to put anchor.  There is not a place I belong . I want to claim my familiar harbor.   A feeling of belonging and purpose and where I know I am always welcome and I can be completely comfortable and myself.  I want to feel there is a place I can return to and feel I fit.  A port where everyone speaks my language.  A Cheers vibe if you will. I was talking to my sister this morning and she brought up some ancestral ties to other countries and where we would like to visit.  There are a few countries I would like to visit.  Italy, especially, has al...
Post a Comment
Read more

Patterns

I wonder how much of my jaded instantaneous instinct to squelch is learned and how much is a part of my personality.  I so quickly turn to no.  Yet, I feel that as a child I was sunny.  I was bright and wanted to believe in hope and good.  My experiences as a child and the ways of reacting to life I saw as examples in my life were the exact opposite of hope and good.    How much damage did the abuse do?  What did it change or form in me? Was nature part of it – did I pick up skepticism from my parents through DNA?  It is easy to trace some responses in my life directly to what I saw modeled.  Other things I have worked for years to change my reaction to learn a new way.  That is just as important and it might be that it only redirected me back to my natural essence.    I wonder about these things.  And a part of me examines my thoughts and responses to events in life from things as simple as a chance remark overheard t...
Post a Comment
Read more