Originally composed on January 17, 2017
In the middle of winter doldrums, it can be hard to be motivated to do something active, particularly when that activity forces you to face the elements (in Maine, that includes cold, but also snow, ice, salt, sand, and very unpleasant wind). However, some days you get a break in the weather, and you cannot help but seize the opportunity to do something you love to do. I remember a specific day in college, my junior year while living in a small 4BR apartment at The Settlement, the way I felt when a sudden, intense thunderstorm hit. I had a very strong urge to lace up my trainers, pull on some running shorts, and go run through the rain (despite having put in 22 miles that morning). It was dark, and unseasonably warm, and the rain washed over my bare chest. I came home revitalized, invigorated.
Today was a similar day. After numerous consecutive cold days, ice and snow crusted to the ground, we had an intense rain shower overnight, paired with 25mph winds. This morning the sun broke through the clouds, and has given way to perfectly clear skies, a gentle breeze, and unseasonable warmth. And all the ice and snow were washed away. I took the opportunity to get out my brew kettle, and make myself a repeat recipe that will serve me well when the cold weather inevitably returns. This imperial stout is very smooth and drinkable, but undeniably comes with the bitterness of roasted malt and hops, the color and character of a dark beer, and the oomph of a lot of grain. The first time I brewed it, I remember thinking that hey, maybe I could do this for a living?
Sometimes we wait for things to align just right to change course. In today’s case, the weather. In other cases, career changes, starting a family, planning a move, what have you. i’ve come to realize (slowly—what can I say, I’ve always been overly risk-averse) that it’s important not only to seize the opportunity when it so visibly presents itself, but otherwise, as well. Sometimes what feels like the wrong time to make a change is the right time. Sometimes you have to endure harder conditions to implement a change than had you waited, but perhaps you can do it 6 months sooner, and save yourself time, or pain, or money, or maybe all of it. It’s these life lessons that every once in a while become obvious that we need to remind ourselves about—especially when they are not so obvious.