Thursday, December 08, 2005

Snowed in...

From the inside looking out, the snow that is steadily falling tonight looks wonderful, fat big flakes plopping down on the ground, blanketing everything in the powdery snow. Tree branches, that have long been bare, seem adorned with glistening silver, and the dusty brown sidewalks are carpeted with white, inviting someone to be the first to leave their footprints. Even the streets cratered with potholes are filled in tonight, making the roads look like smooth paths suitable for a sleigh ride (...but which are probably better traversed with a Hummer...)

I reflect on all this tonight because I have the time to do so. I'm at the U of C these days, into my second week of a heart failure/transplant rotation, and the marvellous snowfall has also shut down traffic on the highways, with the local traffic report indicating that it will take me more than 3 hours to get home, for a commute that normally takes 45 minutes to an hour.

As I walked to the Regenstein library, I had a few moments to realize how utterly transforming and beautiful the snow really is. And I also realized how it's been a while since I've noticed that; for perhaps the past few years, I looked at snowfall as a nuisance that slushed up the roads and added an hour or two to my commute.

I find that kinda sad really, I mean I remember how much I used to love playing in the snow as a kid and how snowfall was about the most exciting thing that could happen in the winter. It has been a long while since I've built a snow fort, a snow man or even had a good old-fashioned snowball fight.

So it was nice to be on campus, to walk through the snow and just enjoy it. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. I'll deal with the commute in the morning.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Don't be stupid, he slept in the snow outside so that he could continue appreciating its beauty.