Back in the 90s, I fell head over heels in love with the book Cowboys are my Weakness by Pam Houston. Stories of adventurous women whose lives were nothing like my own. Then I read the story A Blizzard Under a Blue Sky. Having suffered depression since grade school, I could relate, except I would happily choose pills over winter camping. Still, I was fascinated with the story and winter camping and it sounded oddly freeing. I would say you couldn’t pay me to go winter camping, but I dream about maybe winter camping in Newport State Park in Wisconsin some day.
I am a summer girl! I hate winter, I hate cold, I hate dark, I hate snow, I hate ice. Once years ago, when I lived on the East side of Milwaukee Wisconsin, I had a horrid headache. I didn’t have any headache pills and I was too broke to buy any. I tried taking a nap and that didn’t help any. That day was a sunny day in Milwaukee, below zero, arctic sea fog hanging over Lake Michigan. I didn’t know what else to do, I was miserable. I went for a walk. I figure I couldn’t be much more miserable than I already was. At first it seemed like a really bad idea. It was sun that affected me first, giving me a sense of peace. The cold gave me a sense of clarity. The arctic sea fog was strongly beautiful. I came home feeling refreshed and no headache!
There have been some recent changes at work that have been more stressful than usual. Then a week ago I had a bad bout of bad food poisoning that left me with a date with the toilet and a lost voice for several days. Yesterday I was feeling dark. I remember a social media I started on a platform called Ello. It never really caught on with my friends, but I chose the name @disappear and posted nature photos of longing. The kind of thing that gives me peace when I feel alone and distant and dark. Since no one really uses Ello, I decided to start that same concept on Instagram, @disappearintonothing.
This morning I was going to go to the gym to do a couple of miles on the treadmill and then go take some photos for my new Instagram account. Then I realized I can just go for a two mile walk, or almost two mile walk, at Lion’s Den Gorge in Ozaukee County Wisconsin. It was less than 10° outside. But it was sunny and no wind. It seemed like a good time to accomplish two tasks at once. But I ended up accomplishing a third task. My spirit felt lifted. I felt calm. I felt renewed.
A note about depression, it is different for everyone. A walk in the cold, eating right, exercising, yoga, meditation, and so forth, are not the answers for everyone. I am on anti depressants. Many do need pills and/or therapy.
I have been on Instagram for almost 11 years using @sunrain which is my personal Instagram account. I am sorry people have found negativity on Instagram. It has always been a place of peace for me. I follow photographers, artists, friends and other creatives. I have four other Instagram accounts.
@gas.stations – I don’t use this one much, but I find gas stations aesthetic.
@rainysaturdaycreative – the Instagram for this blog
@sunrainrunning – My health and fitness Instagram.
@disappearintonothing – photos I take that I feel invoke longing and/or peace. I am atheist, but still consider myself spiritual, and this is what spiritualness is for me.
Rainy Saturday Creative 