- We may not be cognizant of it, but we do adjust the temperature to suit our comfort zone.
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I've noticed as we get older we become more sensitive to temperature. In our youth it really didn't bother us. If it was cold, we put on a sweater or sweat shirt; if it was hot, t-shirts were the order of the day. We didn't think twice about going outside on a snowy day to play. Now we do. Thanks to arthritis invading our joints along with muscle spasms, we become much more aware of temperature and constantly seek a comfort zone on the thermostat. This probably explains why so many people from the North migrate to the South in wintertime.
Seniors who prefer to stay in the North during winter, are inclined to keep a tight rein on the temperature dial. To illustrate, my in-laws in Cincinnati had a big house. Yet, in winter they kept the temperature in the 80's. It was so warm inside, you would be sweating while it was frozen outside. While other houses had snow on the roofs and around the houses, my in-laws' roof was warm and dry, even crispy. The radiating heat created a greenhouse effect whereby there was a dry three yard perimeter around the house where foliage flourished and the grass remained green. It is a strange sight to see Crocus and Daffodils in full bloom when it is -30 degrees outside. There was no need to shovel snow near the front door as the cement was so toasty warm, you could walk barefoot outside.
In the summertime, it was just the opposite as the house became Ice Station Zebra. They kept it so cold, you could see your breath and the windows were frosted requiring the occasional scraping and use of ice picks.
Spring and autumn represent the awkward months as people go back and forth clicking between the furnace and the air conditioner. These seasons are favorites for the power companies.
Down here in Florida, we have learned to live with the heat as our friends in the North have learned to live with the snow. As for me, I'll gladly take the sweat of the heat as opposed to the discomfort of the cold. I lived my first thirty years in the North, and I remember too well the layers of clothes to be worn outside, shoveling driveways, and being forced to stay indoors. In Florida, I wear comfortable shorts year round, particularly when I do yard work. The grass may slow down during Winter, but you still have to mow your lawn all year, such is the price for wearing shorts, which I happily accept. As an aside, if we learn a rare frost is in the offing in Florida, we cover our plants outside with old bed sheets. Northerners visiting our area during this time find it amusing to see our plants "put to bed" for the evening.
Even in Florida though, we become very sensitive to the temperature as we get older. Most of the time we are not cognizant of it. For example, my daughter recently came home for a visit and complained how cold it was in the house. Frankly, I hadn't thought about it before she made the observation. I then walked around the house to make sure there was no frost on the windows requiring scraping.
First published: January 8, 2016
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Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com
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