The Snow Is Way Too High, You Need To Cut It
I have a deep and brazened hostility toward snow.
In my post snow day era, there are no foreseeable benefits to this unruly element of nature. I don't build snow people or igloos; snowboard or ski; and most importantly, I hate to shovel.
I am certain that there is no worse feeling than falling asleep to a clear driveway, only to wake up to a white sheet of chilled precipitation, blanketed over all the vehicles and lawns.
I say this all because in the last couple of days, I have watched snow flurries mingle with the skies at the most inopportune times; which is essentially any time in my humble opinion. Knowing Upstate New York the way that I do, snowfall is always a possibility. In the past, there have been times, even into the spring season where I have miserably watched as snow piled upon the Earth. I do not appreciate the lack of respect that nature displays in these moments.
The idea that any morning can be disrupted by the daunting task of shoveling is quite unsettling. It is not that shoveling is the worst thing in the world...it is just very high on the list. I can recall being conflicted back in elementary school, when classmates would instruct us all to wear our white socks to bed before possible snow days. This was seen as some way to hopefully encourage the snow to come out of hiding and reward us with a snow day for our camaraderie. I would ask myself one simple, yet very important question...
Is a snow day worth the shoveling?
And for that, I am sorry former classmates, as I rarely ever wore my white socks to bed, given that shoveling has never been a friend of mine.
I also did not fully grasp the scientific validity of such a practice, but I digress...
As I sit here and rant about how terrible shoveling is, and think about all of the times a snowplow conveniently provided more snow for me to shovel at the end of the driveway, I realize that once again, this is something that is out of my control. In other words, there is no need to stress over it.
I will never be able to control the snow, or the snowplows. I can be mad at them all I want, but that won't change anything. It will still snow, snowplows will still ruin the immaculate driveway, and of course, I will still shovel.
A wise middle schooler once posted an away message on AOL Instant Messenger that read "Worrying is like carrying an opened umbrella everyday just in case it rains". I'm not entirely sure how that applies to this scenario, but I have been meaning to use that quote for quite some time now.
On a serious note, sitting around complaining and worrying over circumstances that we cannot control are meaningless. The mind-numbing task of micro-management is a very useful tool to encourage stress. Given that we don't want to have a lot of stress in our lives, I suggest we all try to stop. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. In the grand scheme of life, there will be several surprises that can feel demoralizing. The good thing about it is, they can all be worked through with resilience, a positive outlook, and patience.
Considering that snow eventually melts, I think it is safe to say that my issue with it is rather minor.
With all of that said, does this mean I now smile while shoveling, and am on the edge of my seat for the next Winter Advisory? Absolutely not. But accepting the fact that snow will occur, has lessened the ongoing feud that snow and I have. Rather than whine about it, I just get the job done. One of the best things about life is we can get things done when we put our minds to it. If we succeed, well then, we succeed. If we fail, we build character and can try again. It's a win/win situation.
So today, or whenever the next time you think about how much you can't stand something, think about me and the snow. Think about how much I dislike it, and dislike the shoveling that comes with it. Also think about how I am working towards overcoming this irrational 'beef'. If I can set aside my difference for the greater good of peace of mind, so can you.
Then think about the umbrella quote I used earlier, and hopefully you can make a better correlation than I did.
It has been real my friends. Go on and enjoy the rest of your day. I know I will. The snow flurries have stopped.
Until next time,
Long Live The People
In my post snow day era, there are no foreseeable benefits to this unruly element of nature. I don't build snow people or igloos; snowboard or ski; and most importantly, I hate to shovel.
I am certain that there is no worse feeling than falling asleep to a clear driveway, only to wake up to a white sheet of chilled precipitation, blanketed over all the vehicles and lawns.
I say this all because in the last couple of days, I have watched snow flurries mingle with the skies at the most inopportune times; which is essentially any time in my humble opinion. Knowing Upstate New York the way that I do, snowfall is always a possibility. In the past, there have been times, even into the spring season where I have miserably watched as snow piled upon the Earth. I do not appreciate the lack of respect that nature displays in these moments.
The idea that any morning can be disrupted by the daunting task of shoveling is quite unsettling. It is not that shoveling is the worst thing in the world...it is just very high on the list. I can recall being conflicted back in elementary school, when classmates would instruct us all to wear our white socks to bed before possible snow days. This was seen as some way to hopefully encourage the snow to come out of hiding and reward us with a snow day for our camaraderie. I would ask myself one simple, yet very important question...
Is a snow day worth the shoveling?
And for that, I am sorry former classmates, as I rarely ever wore my white socks to bed, given that shoveling has never been a friend of mine.
I also did not fully grasp the scientific validity of such a practice, but I digress...
As I sit here and rant about how terrible shoveling is, and think about all of the times a snowplow conveniently provided more snow for me to shovel at the end of the driveway, I realize that once again, this is something that is out of my control. In other words, there is no need to stress over it.
I will never be able to control the snow, or the snowplows. I can be mad at them all I want, but that won't change anything. It will still snow, snowplows will still ruin the immaculate driveway, and of course, I will still shovel.
A wise middle schooler once posted an away message on AOL Instant Messenger that read "Worrying is like carrying an opened umbrella everyday just in case it rains". I'm not entirely sure how that applies to this scenario, but I have been meaning to use that quote for quite some time now.
On a serious note, sitting around complaining and worrying over circumstances that we cannot control are meaningless. The mind-numbing task of micro-management is a very useful tool to encourage stress. Given that we don't want to have a lot of stress in our lives, I suggest we all try to stop. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. In the grand scheme of life, there will be several surprises that can feel demoralizing. The good thing about it is, they can all be worked through with resilience, a positive outlook, and patience.
Considering that snow eventually melts, I think it is safe to say that my issue with it is rather minor.
With all of that said, does this mean I now smile while shoveling, and am on the edge of my seat for the next Winter Advisory? Absolutely not. But accepting the fact that snow will occur, has lessened the ongoing feud that snow and I have. Rather than whine about it, I just get the job done. One of the best things about life is we can get things done when we put our minds to it. If we succeed, well then, we succeed. If we fail, we build character and can try again. It's a win/win situation.
So today, or whenever the next time you think about how much you can't stand something, think about me and the snow. Think about how much I dislike it, and dislike the shoveling that comes with it. Also think about how I am working towards overcoming this irrational 'beef'. If I can set aside my difference for the greater good of peace of mind, so can you.
Then think about the umbrella quote I used earlier, and hopefully you can make a better correlation than I did.
It has been real my friends. Go on and enjoy the rest of your day. I know I will. The snow flurries have stopped.
Until next time,
Long Live The People
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