Winter Whine
Dear Frankie,
The older I get, the harder the winters are for me. I’m only five. I can’t imagine what winter will be like when I’m nine and really old.
Many of my friends don’t understand what I am complaining about. They have parents who are retired and head south in the winter. My parents are in their mid-thirties, and to add insult to injury, love the outdoors.
When I was first adopted, I bragged about my good fortune to be adopted by parents who were young and energetic. I was adopted in the spring, so what did I know? Those early months were heaven. What canine wouldn’t love hikes in the woods, sleeping by a campfire, and midnight canoe rides?
The first couple of winters we hiked and snowshoed were tolerable. But now my arthritis is kicking in, and the winters are brutal. Do you think a request for puppy pads in the spare bathroom from December to March would be unreasonable?
Zippy
Dear Zippy,
It never hurts to ask. They might go for it but I doubt it. Humans who love to exercise and be outdoors never understand the joys of life on a couch.
I have an Uncle Joe, and all he can talk about while he is doing deep knee bends or flexing his muscles is how his daily walks and weekly five-mile run are the reason he is so healthy and in such great shape When he comes for a visit, I always feign illness or a limp, so I can take a pass when he asks me to join him and my parents to go ice fishing or cross country skiing.
Outdoorsy folks like Uncle Joe and your parents are zealots. They can’t understand what they enjoy is not enjoyed by everyone.
It is unfortunate we have to resort to lying and subterfuge to protect ourselves but if that’s what it takes so be it.
Best, Frankie
© 2023 Geneva Woodruff
Comments and letters can be sent to Frankie at dearfrankiecolumn@gmail.com. The Fairhaven Neighborhood News publishes the Dear Frankie column. To receive a free online subscription, readers can email neighbnews@comcast.net, request their name be added to the email list or visit www.neighbnews.com to read the paper online or to download the latest issue.
•••
Click here to download the 2/8/24 issue: 02-08-24 RecycleCtr
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal
