Dancing might be best balm for bleak winter
In "muddy winters of my discontent," Jan. 8, Chris Churchill laments: "winter increasingly exists in our imaginations and memories. Real winters are being replaced by this gray, wet misery we've been living through over recent weeks, this seemingly interminable time of drizzle followed by rain followed by drizzle." In place of the sparkling cold snows of "real" winter, we now have what forecasters euphemistically call "snow showers."
But we can't let these dismal snow shower days get us down. We need more than ever to find strategies for lifting our spirits, and one of the best ways is to get exercise. For me, my favorite outlet is dancing and, in particular, English Country dancing. I look forward to our local dances where the interaction, music and movement leave me feeling happy and energized.
English Country dancing involves group patterns as in square dancing and uses all kinds of beautiful music. There is a "winter" dance done to Gustav Holtz's carol, "In the Bleak Midwinter." I also wrote a dance to the tune "Drive the Cold Winter Away."
In the Capital Region, we are very fortunate to have many year-round opportunities for dancing. One of the highlights is the Flurry Festival in Saratoga Springs held on President's Day Weekend. It’s a fantastic event where you can enjoy a multitude of music and dance styles. (The festival is back after a two-year hiatus with sensible COVID -19 restrictions.)
Defy the bleak winter. Tap into your inner joy. Go out and dance.
Don Bell
Troy
patients who choose this option, about 90 percent in Oregon, for example, are receiving hospice care at the end of their lives. However, even hospice cannot adequately relieve the suffering of all dying patients.
New Yorkers and New York physicians overwhelmingly support the Medical Aid in Dying Act. It is time for the Legislature to pass the bill.
David C. Leven
Pelham The writer is executive director emeritus and senior consultant End of Life Choices New York.
How did U.S. intelligence agencies not police their own documents?
One wonders if the U.S. intelligence agencies keep a record of their top secret documents. If so, it would seem they would recall them and not wait six or seven years to find out they were missing.
Yes, there is a big difference between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Trump tried to hide his and Biden gave them up. It even took a subpoena to get them from Trump, making people wonder if it was for personal use to endear himself to those interested in them.
But the question remains: Are these agencies not making a list of those issued documents so they would know what both Trump and Biden had? They should have been retrieved for national security years ago. Mary Kuykendall
Ballston Lake