Why Rheta Hates the Cold

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I was such a genius that I spent much of my time “running away” during winter. Most weekends I was able to stay at a friend’s house. But many of my friends’ parents were hearing through the parent grapevine that I was a trouble maker and I would have to use a fake name.

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During the week was harder. You couldn’t have friends over on a school night! I would try to get inside somewhere. There were apartment buildings in the poorer parts of town where people would leave me alone if I slept in the hall. I would check for unlocked garages and sheds. Once we were all kicked out of a party by someone’s dad’s roommate. I couldn’t find anywhere inside so I went back to that house and quietly went back inside but the roommate was still awake and made me leave again.

Sometimes I actually had to sleep outside. These days I wonder how close I came to dying from hypothermia. I had a coat and I would put on as many layers of clothes that I could. If I had to literally sleep in the snow I would use some of my clothes to lay down under me.

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I remember shivering most. I would be cold and I would start shivering. It would be so uncontrollable. I would shiver till my body ached and it just wouldn’t stop.

So now when I’m cold it makes me angry. All I can think of is shivering even if I’m not shivering at the moment. But it is like I feel colder than it actually is. I would assume it is some sort of memory. But I hate the cold. I would rather suffer through heat all day and night than be cold for a second.

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Not to mention that in my older age, the cold turns every ache into broken glass in my joints. Or if it used to be just tight, now it aches. And it gets worse every winter. I can't stay in this weather much longer!!!