Snow my not qualify normally as nonsense, but this winter has been hell. It has impacted every aspect of our lives. Getting to work, getting home, finding a place to park on a street that is no longer a street but merely a path wide enough for a rickshaw to get through. Traffic jams hour’s long, angry frustrated people waiting for a train that may or may not show up.
I have seen so many people getting out of their cars ready to literally beat other drivers on the road, people getting into fights on over packed trains. People just angry, tired of this, frustrated, wanting for it to end.
Photo by Michael Krinke/iStock / Getty Images
The New York Times referred to this winter as a “slow moving natural disaster” and it was. The worst winter I can remember. Even worse than the historic blizzard of 78, and yes I am old enough to remember it, I was 8 years old. As a kid, snow of this magnitude is fun, as an adult it’s just miserable.
Storm after storm after storm, pummeling us with this white stuff, turning our world colorless. Lifeless, hopeless. I have a faint memory of what grass looks like. When we do finally see that elusive green stuff I will kiss the ground.
To add to our already miserable existence, the condition that we call “Cabin Fever” sets in, and makes you feel like the world is closing in on you. I have been saying for weeks I want to jump on a plane to the Florida keys and not return. But that’s not an option at this point.
Last night driving by the high school I was awestruck at the amount of giant dump trucks, front end loaders, bulldozers and other assorted trucks parked for the soul purpose of removing some of the snow that has been paralyzing neighborhoods. It was, as crazy as it may sound, a sign of hope. Hope that maybe there is an end to this hell.
These men worked all night removing snow from the side streets, when I woke up this morning, I woke up to an actual street. My street and several other streets in my neighborhood are actually passable again. I was so excited to see this miracle of sorts. I felt kind of foolish to feel such an emotion over the reappearance of this thing we drove our cars on. However, it was like being handed a gift.
Tonight, these men are back at work, I can hear the sound of the trucks and machines removing snow. The sound is somewhat comforting, it feels like someone is saving us.