One of the most striking openings for a novel that I can ever remember was the opening to "All The King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren. There is a lyrical description of a car driving along the road---a large Lincoln I recall, and as it is cruising in the darkness of the night, with the white lines flipping by on the left, on the edge or the right side are all the dead worms and road kill of the ditch that had unwisely ventured onto the road, but at the same time, the Lincoln itself is just a millisecond away from disaster of the ditch, and yet the shock absorbers cushioning the ride shield the driver from the rudeness of the ditch and the road kill below.
It is very brisk this morning. Like 15 degrees. One of the first chilly days of winter. I have been turning the heat down lower lately. Down to 50 degrees. I would really like to aim for 45 degrees, if I can develop consensus from other family members. They object at present, even though their bedrooms have warm electric heat, just the thought of a cold home gives them the willies. And of course the thought of a cold trip to the bathroom.
I think it wise for us all to turn the heat down once in a while and feel the cold so we can have a sense of the world out there. It does no one any good to have the sense of invincibility that is not appropriate---Like the frequent bicycle riders we see on Hwy 14 riding millimeters from disaster, yet being blissfuly daring in the prospect.
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