Jim Cheadle, who writes the 'Scales and Tails' column for a local newspaper, details in his Sunday, January 24, 2010 article, how wildlife adapts to survive in the winter months. Why my eye was caught by this outdoor-related article mystifies me because I am not particularly enthralled by out-of-doors winter activities. My idea of winter activity, beyond the confines of my home, is scurrying from the house to the car, dashing out to fetch the morning's newspaper in my workout clothes, sliding down the driveway to pick up the mail, or shoveling the blessedly-short driveway.
Yes, I'll confess here and now, I regularly leave the warmth of my home (only to get the newspaper) dressed in my workout garb - shorts but with a hooded sweatshirt - and my boots. What a sight I must be to any neighbors who are sitting at their front-kitchen windows, scanning the neighborhood for crazy residents like me! Fortunately, for me (and them) I am often out when it is dark so they are spared the visage.
Back to the article..........
It was the word 'torpor' that grabbed my attention in the Cheadle piece. I've seen the word used before but could not recall its exact meaning, and so I read the entire article, which, I might add, turned out to be highly interesting. Cheadle explained how different wildlife - mammal, reptile, and aviary - adapt to winter conditions. He states "studies now have shown that some birds have a similar behavior referred to as torpor".
I went to my favorite word-source, Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Edition Collegiate Dictionary, a right-elbow fixture, and discovered the following for torpor:
1a: a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility
b: a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees esp. in hibernating and estivating animals. 2: APATHY, DULLNESS syn see LETHARGY
Well, there you go. I've found a name for my winter dysfunction: torpor. If anyone asks me what is wrong, I can say, "Torpor, without a doubt!" And, since there is a term for my 'condition', I can nap with abandon throughout the day and give a grunt here and there for responses to questions.
Without a doubt, it is time to take a nap!
Ancora imparo
