By now readers of my blog are used to my first post of each new year. It always involves describing my family's New Year's Day antics at the annual Lake George Polar Plunge in Shepherd's Park. On the snow-strewn beach beside the frigid water, about a thousand intrepid souls carry on a 44-year tradition, kicking off the new year quite literally, by kicking off their shoes and plunging into the frigid depths of the upstate lake.
I include details of this ritual each January because to me it epitomizes a number of enticing ideas. First and foremost, my family is insane. Let's face it, ya gotta have a little crazy in your DNA to hop from snow pile to thirty-five-degree water, even though the proceeds from the sponsored event benefit worthwhile charities.
Yet when I really think about this craziness, a lot of other words come to mind, too: challenge and fearlessness, camaraderie, tradition--and fun. My family looks forward to "taking the plunge" each year. It's become a way to stretch the holiday season a little longer, giving us all reason to be once again in each other's company, engaged in a group project. Since the process involves dressing up, family members and friends start casting about for the next year's "theme" about 10 minutes after completing the existing year's event. Much bantering and joking goes into deciding what the following year's costumes will be. The final decision isn't usually reached until around Thanksgiving.
In a world that seems to be becoming increasingly colder--with polarizing politics, cyber-bullying, computer hackers and terrorists dominating each day's news cycle-- perhaps a sub-zero outing celebrating togetherness, sharing, giving back and the beauty of nature, is just the thing we need to warm our hearts.
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