Thermostats, Sweatshirts, and the Art of Staying Warm
When the chill creeps in, the furnace becomes more than a machine, it becomes a test of patience, memory, and modern technology. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores the seasonal dance between warmth, frustration, and family ingenuity.
You have one of those because you are probably not living in a tent. Just how is yours doing?
You know that feeling when a chill starts outside and you haven’t activated your furnace for months? You think it’s a bit cool in the house today. Then you think it’s way too early to turn the heat on. The weatherman predicts sunny skies and higher temperatures tomorrow. You have tons of sweaters in your drawers and could choose any one to take the chill off. You even got a new sweatshirt from your granddaughter the other day with her college logo on it. You have plenty of choices before you have to flip that switch on the thermostat and activate the furnace. But you do it anyway.
You wait for that “hummm” sound that accompanies the beginning of the heat cycle. And you wait. Wait, the thing is not working! Maybe it’s the thermostat. Remember that you put in one of those smart things that you cannot operate. It has all of these remote features that you do not understand. There is an app on your phone that you struggle to open. Then, when it does open, it has all of these symbols and jargon, so you close it in frustration.
Your son-in-law, who lives a few miles away, can control your furnace, but you can’t. Nope, you are not going to call him. You can surely figure this out. After all, it is just a furnace. Furnaces have been around for a very, very long time. How complicated can this be?
Fortunately, you have kept the manual for everything. I mean, everything in this house has a manual. Two full drawers of your file cabinet are filled with these manuals. Some of them are at least an inch thick, and some are minuscule with print that you cannot possibly read, even with the magnifying glass on your smartphone. And oh, do not get me started on that one. Do you know how many times I have wanted to use that app and cannot find it? What happens to it? It was there when I turned my phone on, and now it is nowhere to be seen.
Anyway, back to the furnace. Ah, finally, there it is. The furnace manual is in Chinese! You have to be kidding me?! I tried Chinese in college, and it made no sense to me. My granddaughter is taking Chinese in high school, but I cannot imagine that she has the skill at this point to decipher the manual. Useless! Not the granddaughter, the manual!
OK, we can call the furnace guy; he will come out sometime next week. Remember, we do have drawers full of sweaters, and the weatherman has predicted a warming spell. I also have that school sweatshirt!
Want to explore how seasonal discomfort and tech frustration affect emotional well-being? Visit Psychology Today’s article on everyday stress and Wirecutter’s guide to staying warm at home.
If you’re navigating seasonal transitions, tech overwhelm, or emotional stress, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support clarity, resilience, and comfort.
By Dr. Gloria K Vanderhorst