Journal: 1/10/06

Yesterday there was a touch of spring in the air – in early January! It was somewhat mild even in the morning when I drove to school, and I could feel it in my first few classes. That may be why I was unusually effervescent as I was teaching. I felt utterly loose and satisfied. At one point, I leaned back in my chair, popped in a Junior Mint, smiled, and said, “Life is good, boys and girls. Life is good.” The lovely weather continued all day. When I walked down the walkway to the library or the gym, I glanced out at the field, and there seemed to be a spring-like haze hanging over everything. The day seemed to be shining the way they sometimes do in May. In the late afternoon, just as darkness was coming on, for my daily exercise I climbed the Granite Street hill many times, and again I felt the pleasant quality of the air. I was in the heart of winter, with weeks of frozen days and nights ahead of me, and yet I could sense the springtime standing not too far off. As I walked, I swung my arms with special enthusiasm.