Snowpocalypse!

 

The past week brought one of the biggest snow storms in the Pacific Northwest since 1974.  Labeled "Snowpocalypse" or "Snowmageddon," 8-14" of snow (or more, depending on where you live) dumped down on us, effectively shutting down the city and airport for at least a day.  Our college ended up closing for 3 and a half days, which is a record in the 8 years I've been there.

Now I admit that we Seattlelites get a bit hysterical when it comes to snow around here.  Just a few inches will generally close down the college for at least a day or two and have people wringing their hands crying "The world is ending!", but I hardly think the LA Times should be the ones calling us "snow wimps" given that their winters consist of frost on the lawn. 

I spent the days off alternating between productivity and sloth (okay, mostly sloth), and of course, rued my lack of discipline when the weekend rolled around and I was woefully under-prepared for the coming school week.  But I think that a hiatus in life is good.  Being forced to hunker down and stay in during the big snow storm (I am not a lover of snow and therefore, do not have much confidence in my ability or my car's ability to drive safely in the white stuff) created for me the space to slow down and do the sorts of things I feel I normally don't have time to do, like try out some new recipes, light a fire and sit down to catch up on some reading, or clean the house.  It was a true winter break, and I'm grateful for the time off from the normal, stress-filled routine.

The following poem by Tony Hoagland reminds us that "among your duties, pleasure is a thing that also needs accomplishing" (and that such a thing as sunlight exists--come on, Spring!)  So thank you, Snowmageddon!  Maybe I am a lover of snow after all.

The Word

 Down near the bottom
 of the crossed-out list
 of things you have to do today,

 between "green thread"
 and "broccoli" you find
 that you have penciled "sunlight."

 Resting on the page, the word
 is as beautiful, it touches you
 as if you had a friend

 and sunlight were a present
 he had sent you from some place distant
 as this morning -- to cheer you up,

 and to remind you that,
 among your duties, pleasure
 is a thing,

 that also needs accomplishing
 Do you remember?
 that time and light are kinds

 of love, and love
 is no less practical
 than a coffee grinder

 or a safe spare tire?
 Tomorrow you may be utterly
 without a clue

 but today you get a telegram,
 from the heart in exile
 proclaiming that the kingdom

 still exists,
 the king and queen alive,
 still speaking to their children,

 - to any one among them
 who can find the time,
 to sit out in the sun and listen.

--by Tony Hoagland