The TODOIST insists...
that the older you get the lower your tolerance for cold, and the less your regular dose of futbol becomes a priority in your list of to-do's, but in mine it remains a source of sanity and release from the work, and internal work-from-home twerk after 11 months of quarantine. Whether the reluctance given the increase in responsibilities, or fewer offerings to join a kickabout, or that obvious panorama of crapola weather, the shortage of hours and weekly exercise leaves us questioning our mental bandwidth if not challenging our capacity to channel mind over matter.
Staying close to shore and at home- if not cooped up indoors -does NOT jive with my biorhythms nor most that I know, and with the slow rollout of this corona virus vaccine, our chronological halt and slowing down of society with less Vitamin D and fewer trajectories leaves us desperately on edge, and sleepless now smack in the middle of winter. My state of hermitude and self-quarantine has left me extra antsy, and over-protective of my own mental bandwidth and physical space. For those of us who haven't followed the mass exodus to escape the concrete jungle, but have remained local and turned down the volume of our distractions and upped the volume of our music so as to tune into ourselves as we carry on in this surreal white rabbit marathon, we agree we MUST GET OUT for fresh air and shake off the dust!
WE'VE subscribed to stormtrooper status to ensure there is GAME. There's no use asking HOW badly we need to dance a jig on the greens, nor to WHAT EXTENT we are willing to ensure that we do when the field is barely visible and completely covered in snow. Call it desperation, sanity / insanity, or our faith and belief in our beautiful game that pushes us to rally enough shovels and shovelers to ensure there WILL BE GAME! We've proven the theory time and time again that "IF we build it, they WILL come". But we're also blessed to have a dedicated core of a regularly Saturday crew of crazies who come out by storm- and after snow storms who have even shoveled for 2 hours just to play for 3. (o:
We've resumed our speakeasy-esque games through whatsapp groups and our ongoing meetups, while sourcing our energy and motivation not merely from NYC's ubiquitously feigning winter sun amidst venetian blinds, but through our teammates prescribing to winterproof ourselves even in below-freezing temps with layer upon layer of heat tech. In fact, Saturday was our most laborious and episode 3 of snow shoveling thus far this winter, and by far the most brutal given the underlying ice from the previous snow, with yet another thick layer of snow, and minimal sun . . .
It took me 24 hours to process and define that feeling on the frozen pitch- with the word at the tip of my tongue. "Hygge".(pronounced "hue-guh") is a form of everyday togetherness", a pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of safety, equality, personal wholeness and a spontaneous social flow."
"Hygge" is a Danish word which lacks an English equivalent, but is often used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special." Or rather "to give courage, comfort, and joy". Derived from a sixteenth-century Norwegian term, hugga, meaning “to comfort” or “to console,” it is also speculated to be the root for the English word “hug.”. It's no wonder that between the frozen hugs and fist bumps, or the jeer found on friendly familiar faces taking turns between shovels to the sound of happy tunes and progress triggered such a warm, cozy feeling and special word. All we need now is to bring along a pop-up hot cocoa / coffee stand and we'll be set for any future wintry Siberian conditions.
When the pitch is cleared and in full view, I tend to always hear this song in my ears: Make The Road By Walking - Menahan Street Band
Found these spot-on references which perfectly defined the inner giddiness and oneness experienced in the laborious shoveling:
"Hygge is all about being in the moment, feeling completely relaxed and centred, letting go of the hectic world around you, either alone or with loved ones. Hygge time in Scandanavia is enjoyed after a busy day of activities. No phones and computers allowed in those magical moments." - Ole Henriksen
"Hygge is a way of living, and a way of being together and really connecting with people. It's not hygge if we're in the same room and you're doing something and I'm doing something else and we're not connected. Hygge is created when you do things together" - Malene Rydahim
P.S. I also sported some hyggebukser, otherwise known as "that shlubby pair of pants you would never wear in public but secretly treasure"- and saw some pairs running down the field. (o: No shame there!
#HYGGE #STORMTROOPERSINACTION #OURBEAUTIFULGAME #VERBALBRAINFREEZE #2021WINTERPROOFING #IFYOUBUILDITTHEYWILLCOME #MAKETHEROADBYWALKING
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