We got snow. A lot.
The weather stations have been giving the storm alert. Yesterday afternoon my husband cleared our driveway. This morning at 5:30 it was all covered with drifted snow around 10” deep with 2 to 3’ peaks here and there.
I am taking a business class every Tuesday. The class starts at 8:00am, which means I should leave home by 7:15 in this kind of weather condition. It finishes at noon.
At 5:47am my instructor was e-mailing to see if everyone could come to the class. Looking at the blowing snow and my hopeless driveway, I thought nobody could make it today. But, to my surprise, he wrote back in 30 minutes saying there would be the class. That meant some students were going. Maybe they didn’t get so much snow drift blocking their way. Maybe they get up at 5:00am and clear the snow no matter what by the regular time they hit the road. Many people here have a tractor and/or snow blower. And they should be used to drive in such a winter condition.
Anyway, there are some people who don’t stop with ‘only this much of’ snow!
Inspired by such enthusiastic people, I gave the second thought to attend it even I got late. I don’t really want to miss any of the classes to begin with. It is almost 7:00am. If I get out by 10:00am, I can still attend for an hour and half. Maybe it’s worth it. To make it happen, first I need to remove the snow.
My husband clears the snow with the snow blower but not in the early hours of the day. Unlikely he would jump out of the bed and start blowing right away to send me out to such a questionable weather.
If I can’t count on him, should I try to blow the snow myself? No, I am not confident enough to use the machine without his assistance.
So I went with the old fashioned way – a snow shovel. Whether I really go or not I can decide later, only if my driveway is clear at that time. Without starting right away, I won’t have any option but give up the class.
I was about half done when my husband came out. It was around 8:15am. He told me my friend who is taking the same class couldn’t get out either.
He simply laughed at me. I am killing myself for nothing. Later when the snow and wind stop, he would clear the driveway. It is not wise to even try to go on the highway.
Despite his discouragement, I was still hoping to go. But when I called my friend back, she, who lives right by the highway, said that the visibility over there was pretty bad. It made me give it up. It is not worth it to risk my life to get the half of the class which who knows was really held or not after all.
And now 12:00pm there is the sun out. No school for kids and they are having a great time outside. People in the neighbourhood started coming out with their snow blowers.
When I lived in Calgary, the city with 1 million population, I hardly think the weather would stop people going. My daughter’s school closed only once due to the weather condition in 4 years. The heavy traffic kept the road clear from snow for the most time. Although there was occasional delay with heavy snow, people still got to work and stores opened. People were active. The city was active 24/7.
But here or there it is the same that the snow removing tracks don’t magically clear the road right after the snow. Our vehicle is not designed to drive safely in a winter storm with zero-visibility. Such things are nothing more than a common sense, but I didn’t see it so well when I was living in the city. My mind was too busy. I was always thinking to keep going.
It was very quiet when I was shoveling the snow in the gleam of dawn. There were only a few vehicles passed by in the hour and half I was working. Except those few moments, there was only the sound of wind and my shovel.
It may be this silence that makes me more humble with the nature. It is like sharpening my all senses.
No matter how convenient our life becomes, the nature overpowers us here and there. We shouldn’t forget the respect to something beyond us. We need to know when to give up fighting with it.
I am not supporting to give up the all modern convenience and go back to the olden days. Lots of amazing technology is available today, so it is foolish not to use it.
I am not saying not to do anything when the weather is bad either. We do our best to deal with it, utilizing whatever available.
Nevertheless, there is the time we should stop and give it up. Give up a small thing for something more important. Give up the class for my own life. Accept the short term loss for the long term gain.
After all, giving up something is not the end of your life. Let something go, then another thing comes to you.
I still feel very sorry for missing today’s class, but overall I had a really good morning.