Druther hunting season
Seeds of discontent.
And dissent.
Hairy situations and nails on the edge.
But it’s The Druthers, not virus, drivin’ universal dissatisfaction.

I don’t know about you, but I’d druther be out of cold storage. Ready to cave. In? (USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
The Druthers – an old ailment infecting just about everyone at one point or the other
Often brought on by little sun, cold temperatures, and short dark days.
Usually afflicting adults
From the armchair during January, my aging dad would cover himself in seed catalogues. Burpee before computers – with the descriptions and glorious of tomato and rose varieties: these grew big, these were sweet, these were heritage and hardy. The cucumbers, peas, corn, watermelons, and fend-for-yourself-while-discouraging-bugs flowers. Maybe a few gourds just for fun this year?
Other family members chose travel brochures, wandered through cheap air travel tickets, or resort packages. (We are not cruise people.)
All feeling’ they’d druther be doing something else somewhere else.
“Druthers” can make you smile while sayin’ or thinkin’ about how to get out of it.
Of questionable origin
Many insist it’s strictly a regional phrase of the Deep South Hicksville : a contraction of “I’d rather be doing…..”
Some say has traces back to England: as contraction of contractions. “If I had had a choice, I would have rathered ….” (“If I’d had a choice, I’d rathered…”)
Shorten form showing preference or choice, in any case

“Dear, I have an idea. I know if you had your druthers we’d just hunker down here for the duration, but you know those big ole plastic water cooler jugs? What if we cut them off at the neck and put them over our heads? Ultimate in sneeze and cough guards!”(USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
For as long as I can remember, this is the time of year for Drutherings
School normally almost out.
Windows open. Breezes teasing. Grass fattened enough to feel good under bare feet. Warm sun. Surf boards getting waxed. Sails scrutinized on lawns. Sandals bought. Jeans now too short hacked into cutoffs.
Ready to roll.
With road maps on the dining table with camp grounds, routes being debated, and a years worth of coins in the big jar being counted, rolled up, and added to the summer pay-as-you-go vacation trip budget.

We were not cruise people. It was camping in the National Parks. Once grown, my brother never wanted to ever see or set up a tent again. It was probably the skunks that time…One of my uncles helped build some of those old rock CCC park structures like the dance pavilion at Garner State Parker. Vintage like this 1940’s WPA Travel poster.(USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
“I’d rather be anywhere but here” drutherings
Virus or no virus, nothing can stop the distraction.
Mother’s Day only a momentary deflection
This year – it’s all different now. Ultimate destination: todos uncertain.
I’d druther not be so restless: no planning, no wanderings.
Even lacking any real possibility of a normal, safe, summer.

“Stop. He did not buy the last packet of tomato seeds on Amazon…” (USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
Darn, dastardly virus.
“Staycation” wasn’t coined to mean “Sit. Stay in your actual home. Alone.”
If Druthers were horses, then without beggin’, I’d jump right on and dash directly outta here. What about you?
Happy as a clam
Yep.
Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge
“I sits there for hours,
developin’ my powers
a figurin’ how flowers gets tall
If I had my druthers
I’d druther have my druthers
than anything else at all.”
( All the lyrics here)
12 Comments
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we hope a little bit of “normal” comes back… it is a strange feeling now to leave the house…
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Remember that old Hitchcock movie The Birds? Wonder if the local birds will decide to menace and try to run us back indoors HAHA
Life has changed – and it’s weird. Will take a while to get used to it. Take care and bark on!
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I’ve always had druthers. I remember those Burpee catalogs coming the day after Christmas. They were drooled over as much as the Sear catalog. Hard decisions on which tomatoes to chose. Order early (and always too many for the space). No camping here. My mom was raised in a drafty old house and that was as close to camping as she wanted to get!
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Great post 😁
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Fun post; studying those colorful seed catalogs was so important when things were still white outside! But from the beginning of the post, i was hearing Abner singing in my head
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I druther be doing what I’m doing… so I guess I druther druther not, however definitely druther reading this! 😉🙃 Happy druther (not) Tuesday! 😉
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We are not cruise people either. We are not hermits, despite what our last 6 weeks might look like. Somewhere in-between those two variables is where I’d druther be right about now.
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I’m getting so used to self-quarantine I may never leave home again. I remember people in Minnesota using the word “Druther” when I was young, how it was used escapes me.
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If I had my druthers and if druthers were horses, I’d be in Wyoming riding one. 🙂 I’m happy and thankful that our family is all well, has jobs, has savings if needed, and has each other. We’re rich.
janet
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I remember the expression “If I had my druthers” from my Iowa childhood — and my Iowa adulthood, for that matter. What’s funny is that I never heard the word used any other way. It always was a noun, never a verb. I did go rogue last night, and stopped at Outriggers taco truck down by skippers. Two grilled fish tacos never tasted so good — and I’m still living!
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Rocky Mountain National Park is opening, so maybe the number of people on the trails here in Boulder will go down. I haven’t hiked anywhere other than the super wide open space near my house!
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Druther has been around for a long time. I remember it vaguely as a child growing up in California. I think my mother used it. I definitely remember Li’l Abner from the comics growing up. And Daisy Mae. And Mammy Yokum. Not sure on the spelling there though. We have a helter-skelter community near us made up of ramshackle shacks that the locals all call Dog Patch. As for druthers, we’re happy here but I am ready for a road trip!
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