It seems like wherever I go people are talking about the weather. It is the top story on all of the news stations.
I have been watching the news and hearing about the “paralyzing storm” that has hit the south. THREE inches of snow. I am not making light of it because sadly this severe weather has been deadly in many cases. I just have to wonder what constitutes “paralyzing” or “storm of the century.” It seems like every few days we are getting hit with another “wicked storm.”
Three inches of snow to us here in New Jersey seems like nothing – at least not after the way this winter has been so far. Last week, we had about a foot of snow and had to shut down schools and businesses. But north of us, they are under several feet of snow. Are they laughing at our complaining? Do people in Alaska sit back and shake their heads at us?
I assume it all has to do with what we are prepared for. No one expects to get freezing temperatures, snow and ice in Georgia, Florida and Alabama so they are not accustomed to it and how to handle the drastic change. I can remember my cousins who grew up in Alaska telling me that school was very rarely ever canceled, and even then, it was not because of snow, but because of extreme cold. Cold like….30 BELOW! I am whining and complaining over the single digit temperatures here – I could not even imagine what thirty below could feel like and I don’t want to!
I guess the most important thing that we can do during this cold snap, no matter where we live, is to stay safe. Anyone can tell you that they can drive safely in the snow but no one can safely drive on ice. The best thing you can do in an ice storm is to simply avoid it. Keep your pets inside, safe and warm, and help elderly or ailing neighbors with shoveling if you can. Winter is here for a few more months and there is nothing we can do about it! At least the days are beginning to get a little longer! That’s always a sure sign that Spring is on its way!
A Project for Kindness 