Last Saturday I woke up to find a white coat of frost blanketing all the roofs of my neighborhood. It was so cold that my cat’s tongue stuck to my nose.
After noticing this, I was tempted to remain cocooned in my warm bed for the rest of the day. I am “frileux” (very sensitive to cold) and if I perceive that there is no need to step outside, I won’t.
But all warm-blooded creatures are social animals who have a visceral need to congregate with their peers. So, despite some misgivings, I shielded myself with 5 layers of clothing and went to the pétanque field.
“We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment in our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” –The Dalai Lama
Our pétanque club has done wonders to bring people together, and Christine C. and Ann K. have been the most active (and successful) proponents of this goal. We owe them. Thank you very much, ladies! Where indeed, can you mingle with people without being burdened by religion, politics, or any other drivel?
On the field, there were between 25 and 30 individuals willing to freeze their “derrière” for the privilege of playing and bouleshooting… a significantly high number of players for a rather nippy day. Obviously, pétanque players are a hardy breed who don’t mind mild sub-zero temperatures, but nevertheless, a sip of Glühwein would have been welcome.
On second thought, we should introduce an amendment to our bylaws stating that on very cold days, our First-Aid Attendant should provide this life-saving potion to anybody who wants it. Tamara also promised to bring some Russian fire water to help revive anybody feeling green around the gills.
According to Greatist, when imbibed in moderation, a shot of vodka can do some amazing things. Notably ” keeps your mouth clean, protects your heart health (maybe), helps you stick to a low-carb diet, tones your skin — for a little while, calms down your hair, neutralizes odors, and cleans, chills you out, reduces inflammation (maybe), kills germs.”
Hoping to see you soon warm and untroubled!
Alain