I felt I was coming down with an ear ache. I have not had one of these since childhood. Back then they said it was from not covering up my head and ears in the winter. My mom and grandmother always scolded me about that. Didin't matter, once I got out of sight, off came the knit hat and or ear muffs--freedom for the hair! Stuffed them into pockets and off I went debonair and free hairing. I have always preferred my head uncovered and that worked most of my life. Hats in the summer to keep the sun off my head affect me the same way. All those 40+ years in CA and who really needs to cover their head there even in the damp cold fog of Sacramento?
Here in the MN tundra winter that appears imminent again with temperatures of below zero, 15 degrees and 20's-- which feel warm,-- I neglect to cover my head. Running errands, in and out of the car, who thinks of these things? Yesterday though while picking up some presents at Woodmen's I felt that sharp piecing ache in the ear that goes down through the gland. Ooops. This is not good. "Cover your head, Patty" came the voice from the past. I pulled up my eskimo hood on my jacket. While entering the store I noticed an old lady with a babushka scarf on her head tied under her chin, hobbling along. Flash back to PA, that's how all the old women dressed. My grandma would no more have gone out without her babushka and heavy hat over it than she'd have ice skated across the railroad tracks. My mom and aunt did the same. My aunt particularly in her last years would tell me when we talked to "be sure to cover you head, because you never were very good at listening to that and you will get sick!"
Well I will try to cover up with the eskimo hood from now on. The cold wind is just too bitter and maybe I'm not as likely to go bare headed....but please just don't make me become a babushka woman!
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