So I have to admit, this year, I'm so not into winter – at all. It has never been my favorite time of year. I don’t ski, I don’t ice skate, I don’t sled, and I shovel only out of necessity.Quite soon after New Year's rolls by, I'm ready for spring, for tulips and daffodils and the smell of the Earth renewing itself, but usually I can grin and bear it until April like most good New Englanders.
Unfortunately, this winter has been rife with peril for me. I’m struggling with all of my New Year’s resolutions – most are blown, but I refuse to give up completely yet. I’m stubborn that way. There is a lot going on in my personal and professional life – some good, some not so good, but all stressful.
My usual contented ritual of hibernation has turned into a bad case of the winter blahs. And it’s only the middle of February. Yuck! What to do between now and late March? How do I make sure I don’t lose my marbles while I wait for 60 degree or better weather?
Read, read and then read some more.
This winter I have gone back to basics – to Harlequin romances like the ones I first read as a teenager. Some shrug their shoulders at romance novels, even more shrug at the thought of Harlequin romances. Quick reads with funny titles and clinched covers are outdated and not worth the time, right?
WRONG.
Can you read them quickly – yes, do they have goofy titles and covers – usually, but they are pure, escapist fun meant to entertain. There is something intrinsically comforting about knowing exactly what you are getting once you start reading. It does not matter I know how the story will end – I can simply enjoy the ride.
Men watch sports for the same reasons. It’s a game, with set rules, two opponents, and though there are twists and turns along the way, one team will win and one team will lose. With romance novels, its boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy loses girl, and then boy and girl triumph over adversity and live happily ever after. It’s controlled escapism in a chaotic world. How can that be a bad thing?
So off I go, curled up under a blanket with a cup of hot tea by my side, ready to go headlong into another romance novel. Happy reading! See you in the springtime.
