Blog8: Winter Break

Blog 8: Winter Break

by: Sam Harshman

Winter Break lasted a long time but ended shortly.  If that doesn't make sense to you, it's ok.  It didn't make sense to me either.  I did get to witness a big snow during break though.  In Southern Illinois, we would say we had a blizzard, but I know northerners would just laugh at us.  The first snow we got was a total of thirteen and a half inches.  The next morning there were many snowmen going up, snow angels going down, and a lot of shoveling.  I even had to help someone get out of a ditch.  They thought they were the one who was smart enough to be able to drive through thirteen inches of snow in their Chevrolet Impala.   Two nights later we received another eight inches.  Still people were trying to drive their way through with no progress.

This made me start thinking about why people just can't cope with the conditions they have been dealt.  People are too worried about their jobs and making money that they risk lives, their selves' and others.'   People are on one speed: fast forward.  It's rare to meet people who just sit back and "play the cards they are dealt." 

A story that gives me some hope is the flooding in Venice, Italy.  Venice is built, surrounded by water.  They use the water to get around to most places.  Eventually, Venice gets flooded, but people don't freak out, and "drive through thirteen inches of snow."  The people there use the water, or put on their wading boots and walk,  they cope with what they are dealt.  In an ever-changing climate universe, we should all be like that.  Allow whatever happens, happen and just cope with it. 

Stories like Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Sandy never make me feel bad.  (There are stories within the big story that get to me, but not the big picture.)  Humans built places like, New Orleans and Lower Manhattan, in these low areas, susceptible to flooding.   Also they are along the coast, so they are always susceptible to hurricanes.  We built these cities almost for the purpose of being destroyed and flooded.  There's really no other way to look at it. 

This is why people should just slow down and play the cards that are dealt.  Take everything into consideration before moving forward.