weather

Braving the Cold

/ Denis Wilhelm / Leave a comment

While cursing the cold the other day I realized that in our neighborhood only us old guys shovel the snow from our driveways. We, the heart attack prone, arthritis afflicted, RSV susceptible old-timers, feel compelled to clear the snow from our driveways and walkways. The young people just drive over it. Their lack of concern for neatness and order seems nearly criminal. They just drive off to jobs and other necessary destinations, while I sit and look smugly out my window at my neatly shoveled ‘driveway to nowhere’. I don’t need to leave my house. We are retired. Our pantry in stocked and we have food in the freezer likely older than some of the non-shoveling miscreants who I grudgingly consider my neighbors.

A well shoveled driveway

What if I decide that I must leave the house? Or what shame might I feel if we had an unexpected visitor who had to traverse the dangers of an uncleared walkway? I will shovel! My Dad was a shoveler. He took pride in his ability to clear the snow, and I will carry on that tradition. I suppose the younger generation doesn’t want to brave the elements to conquer their snow-covered driveways and sidewalks. They don’t dress in layers and get booted-up to prove their worth. They just hit the APP on their phones to auto-start their cars. And then drive off with abandon in pre-heated luxury.

While being somewhat amused with my inner curmudgeon, I realize that perspective matters. The younger families must get to where they need to be – driveway be damned! What appears to me to be laziness is probably someone hurriedly trying to get to a job or to get a sick child to a doctor or to help an older parent clear their walkway. Perhaps I could offer to help them. Or at least mind my own business.

Funny thing about judging others, God usually forces me to look in the mirror at some point. That’s when I really need to brave the cold. The cold, hard truth that I have prejudged others. Fortunately, God even forgives sinners like me.

Peace,

Denis

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? Matthew 7:3

Winter Blahs

/ Denis Wilhelm / Leave a comment

Snow. Ice. More snow. More cold weather. More ice. Even more snow. Is there any end in sight? When will it be warm again?

Ughh!! More snow!!!

All I want is some warmer weather. I’m tired of the ice and snow on the roads and salt and muck being carried into the house. I feel like I’m living back in Wisconsin. I’m probably just suffering from some seasonal depression. BUT I CAN’T TAKE MUCH MORE!

I know that spring will come again. And I know that there will be flowers and green grass and sunshine and blue skies. I’m just getting a little antsy.

You see, I’m not much of a cold weather animal. I lived in Wisconsin for 11 years and there were many things that I loved about our life up north but not the weather. From October to May – it was just an exercise in endurance. I just told myself each winter (all 8 months of it) that somehow I would get through it and somehow I did. Even the year that we had 25 below zero temperatures with windchills of 75 below zero – I lived and I saw spring again. But that didn’t make less it any less miserable. Cold is cold.

So now here I am now living 400 miles further south and I might as well be back in Wisconsin (at least up there they knew how to remove the snow and ice from the streets. Plus the drivers weren’t all complete jackasses when the snow started flying). But this cold weather snap that we’re experiencing feels too much like Wisconsin winter and I’m READY FOR SPRING.

Maybe I need to move to Florida. But all those old people driving around with their left turn signals on would probably get on my nerves. What’s a curmudgeon to do?

Stay warm if you can.

Peace,

Denis