Here where hell has frozen over in New England, we’re accustomed to long snowy winters. We have a plan to deal with all the snow that falls. We have our ways of staying warm and (slightly)cheery through the dark winter months, like chili, warm fires and Irish coffee (or so I hear).
New England even has it’s own official motto that I think is all about surviving winter. {It says so on Wikipedia, so it’s absolutely true.} It’s this:
An appeal to heaven.
It isn’t perfectly clear what our forefathers meant, but I bet the appeal was similar to my winter plea :
Please God, make this shitty weather stop.
At our house, we have a plan for dealing with the snow in our driveway. When we first looked at our house, I fell in love with the long circular driveway. I claimed I loved it because it was stately, but in reality, I loved the idea of not having to back out ever. Why go in reverse when you can rock on in drive?
Fine, call me lazy. I don’t bother with the garage either, because that would require backing out daily. It also requires entering the house through the basement and climbing a flight of stairs with kids / groceries / weight of the world on my back. Thanks, but I’ll just pull up in front.
Of course, this circular piece of heaven has become a massive annoyance in the snow. Our original plan saw Dave buying an extra large snow throwing machine (shiny toy) and insanely huge boots. When the machine broke, we had it repaired. When it broke again, we hired a plow company to clean up. That ended when a creepy guy showed up banging on my front door at 7 am, demanding cash in a threatening way “for his boss” after I had already paid.
Our strategy last year was wait for it to melt. As you probably guessed, it didn’t work out well. We decided to shovel out one side of the driveway so I could break free now and then. This required me to drive in reverse, which proved to be a challenge. In my defense, it’s really hard to see the sides of the driveway when it’s all white, so it’s no surprise that I backed onto the grass and nearly took out our neighbor’s fence.
Wait, are you wondering what about Dave? How does he get out of the driveway to get to work? Well, he has a Jeep. He drove in and out of the snowy side of the driveway because it was more fun than “my side.” He drove through everything. He drove over everything. When he couldn’t quite see where the driveway ended and the yard began, he drove over our lamp post and off the edge of the wall.
And he kept going.
We know all the options for clearing the snow. We could hire someone again. We could buy a new machine again. But we’re adventurous people, as you must have noticed by now. This year, we came up with a sophisticated new plan: hope it doesn’t snow much. It’s worked beautifully. You can thank us for a mostly snow free December and January.
You are very welcome.
Saturday, we had a smallish storm (around 7 inches). Normally, I wouldn’t bother digging out of it. I can drive over it. BUT. Now we are expecting a full on blizzard that the media is insisting will be historic. If we don’t dig out of the two or three feet of snow expected? Well, we’re kind of going to be screwed stuck until it melts. In April.
So.
I will shovel. And I will like it. I’ve discovered that it brings me a little bit of peace. And maybe a spot of joy. My tea tastes even sweeter when I come in from the cold.
You too can find peace through shoveling snow. Here’s why:
- It’s quiet out there. It’s just me and the shovel and the cold air. I NEVER scrape the shovel against the ground making that horrible noise. I just push the snow around gently. It’s so cold out that the kids won’t open the door or windows to yell to me unless someone is bleeding.
- It’s fantastic exercise.
- The fresh air and sunlight is good for you. I spend most of the winter hibernating, so it feels good to get out in the fresh air and sweat from the hard work.
- You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what I’ve accomplished on any given day. I’ve done all kinds of things with the kids. We’ve learned, talked and played. I’ve cooked, cleaned and done heaps of laundry, yet there is rarely a sense of completion. Seeing something finished, completely done, is really gratifying.
- Shoveling snow is meditation in motion. Seriously. It’s a little like yoga, prayer or vacuuming. You can push the snow around symmetrically, in beautiful lines (or not).
- Let your mind drift as you shovel. Where does it go?Are you daydreaming about Spring? Not me. My mind goes blank after a few minutes. All I see and think about is the white, the way it sits on the pine tree that hangs over the driveway, how it falls over the sides of the shovel as I push it away from the car’s tires, how it clumps up or blows in my face when the wind blows, how it makes the whole world look clean, orderly and fresh.
- When you are done, you will be so tired that you can’t get angry at anyone or anything. Go ahead and try, you won’t have the energy.
When the driveway is all clear, or even clear enough for you to make a great escape, come inside and sit down. Breathe. Take rest. Feel the peace for a few moments while your feet thaw out. If you can dig your self out after a massive storm, what else can you accomplish?
“Is it hard?’
Not if you have the right attitudes. Its having the right attitudes that’s hard.” Robert M. Pirsig
{No, I am not available to shovel your driveway.}
