I have always thought of January as a bleak, desolate month. Cold, bare trees, dirt that used to be mud now hardened or frozen. And, of course, these memories come from living a relatively short time on a farm in West Elkton, Ohio in the fifties. I was in the 4th grade and fascinated by the folklore of Indian tribes over our area. I even went so far as to make my own clothes out of an old, scratchy horse blanket. Vest, leggins, headband, and moccasins (that fit over my shoes). In this outfit, with my ever-present bow & arrows, I would roam alone over our 63 acre spread of farmland. No rabbit or squirrel was safe from my attempts, but still able to escape. Always after school, or during vacation, I would explore the frozen creeks, and hills and gullies for interesting rocks with shells & trilobites on the ground while taking the occasional shot at an unwary bird flying too low. In my mind, I was emulating the Indians that I knew from books & magazines that depicted them as strong, self-sufficient hunters & gatherers, enjoying complete freedom. The only “rule” I had to adhere to was to be back at the house by meal time. Otherwise I was free to roam. And, since I had no watch, I had to always use the sun’s position as my guide. Good luck on a cloudy day. But I was never late for a meal.
Now, as I sit here, I find myself longing for that complete freedom to roam, unfettered, with no restraints other than “the rule.” I’m sure that I share this sense of longing with the Indians of the past who were also able to roam virtually unfettered through the hills of Ohio. There is also a feeling of the loss of innocence which most of us now experience as we grow older and more responsible in our busy, time-fettered lives. This, unfortunately, seems to keep happening at a younger age. We are very busy and very structured. And this might be the reason we experience our yearning or longing earlier now, in our mid-years. It might help to slow us down a bit.
So, now, in January, when the longing for a simpler time comes over me, I think that it is a good thing. It gives us all perspective in our lives.