By Georgie Bright Kunkel

What a strange title for a column. But it is true that our weather has been unusually mild all year so far. Just this morning I saw my first chickadee flitting about in the bare limbs of the chestnut tree in my back yard. The mighty oak that finally shed enough leaves to fill the yard waste bin four times is now stark naked. Now I can see the nests that the crows love to build high up in that tree. The birdhouse that last spring housed a sparrow family is once again cleaned out and ready for this year’s nesting.

But then I am reminded that sometimes we get our coldest and even snowy weather when it is almost springtime. I remember a few years ago when my steep driveway to the garage was covered with six inches of snow. Fortunately, I had enough groceries to last through until it finally melted. Actually that was a wonderful time, looking out at the snowy landscape and not hearing the roar of traffic as the cars were whirring by on packed snow. On days when one is snowed in the hustle and bustle of life slows down a little. Then I feel so fortunate that there is time for reverie. Imagine living on the equator without any reverie time. Music developed in this clime seems to be always high energy, stimulating and fast moving.

Speaking of the way that climate affects one’s energy level reminds me of my time at the senior center lunch dances. Since I often frequent these dances I realize that I was not brought up to conform to the dancing patterns. Imagine seniors sitting around the lunch table and the dance music stimulating the urge to dance but being trapped in outmoded societal habit patterns. Senior women far outnumber senior men so if the old patterns requiring a woman to wait until a man asks her to dance are followed, many women would never dance. Luckily I was brought up as a free spirit and I decided to dance alone. I get more exercise dancing my fast moving dance steps than waiting for a man to ask me to dance a slow waltz or two step.

Sitting and not participating is not my idea of life. So after the dance is over I sneak up to the piano and play a few old 40’s numbers and soon there are people coming by to ask me to play their favorite song. Luckily 40’s music has never gone completely out of style. I still need song sheets because of my poor rote memory but I can play up a storm without any music to look at because I play by ear as they say. Yes, I am an On Stage person for sure. I can hardly wait for America’s Got Talent to be here in Seattle this year. Their talent scout found me on Facebook and asked me to try out by sending in a video. This video has gone up the ladder and I was informed by the talent scout that I would know if I made the cut, so to speak, very soon. Keep posted and maybe you will be able to watch this oldie on TV later this year.

As I often mention, each individual in society has to adjust to what each one needs and what society will tolerate in the way of behavior. I have balanced all that over the years and have finally found a level of comfort in which I get my needs met but don’t offend the sensitivity of the more conforming people in my environment. Those who still cannot tolerate my individualistic behavior I try to avoid. Life is too short to dress drab or conform to the point of discomfort. So my advice is to be yourself, if being yourself doesn’t harm anyone else. Then reach out to make new friends because as you age, your older friends disappear. Live life to the fullest, you hear?

Georgie Bright Kunkel is a freelance writer who can be reached at 206-935-8663 or gnkunkel@comcast.net.