By Sean Holden (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: January 14, 2015
As we dash from class to class this winter semester, some of the more observant may notice the looming harbingers of a gloomy change in our surroundings. You can see them form around rooftops or crystallize around fences; they are the scrambling of desperate neighbours outfitting their homes in preparation, and the chilled fog adhering to car windows. Indeed, it is the annual approach of the great Canadian villain, snow. However, like the Grinch, snow is terribly misunderstood. The various benefits of this little devil shatter the icy tales of its coming. Snow collapses the foundations of ordinary routine, which is a miracle for our psychological health.
The most common complaint about this chilling “foe” is that it’s cold. But the cold is preferable to heat because it’s easier to get over. For example, if you’re born with the rutilus saeta strain like me (in other words, you’re a ginger), then heat from unavoidable UV rays can cause serious health issues, which considerably reduce your life expectancy. You can avoid the cold, on the other hand, by bundling into a few heavy jackets, a scarf or two, a decent cap, and a suitable pair of long johns.
Snow may seem adversarial, but this is actually good, because when snow settles our comfortable lifestyles lift. Getting to work on time is a struggle, trying to make it to class without getting frostbite requires nothing short of a miracle, and those intense moments of trying to start your beat-up Chevy can cause a panic attack. It’s in these moments that the spirit of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin tends to possess us. Our finest moments occur in these tight scenarios, whether it’s asserting personal pride by calling in sick to work, or finding the angry theologian inside ourselves as we holler curses towards the skies, praying for a spark in this pitiful scrap of metal we call a vehicle.
But like John Franklin, it’s not just a spark in the ignition we crave, but the spark of adventure. Snow offers this; it creates an unexpected twist in our routines, making each little hardship all the nobler. Making a right turn at an intersection is an average part of daily life, but catapulting into the next lane while drifting at 50 and narrowly escaping what could have been a front-end collision is nothing short of superhuman. We turn from Average Joes to damn heroes with a meek change in precipitation. Snow keeps us on our toes not merely to keep the soles of our feet warm, but also to keep our minds healthy, vigilant, and productive.
Talking about weather may seem mundane and fruitless, but I hope this perspective can take snow off the burner for once. I dream of a day we no longer trudge through snow’s wake as the oppressed under winter’s occupation. I dream of a day we engage in wonder and adventure, building forts and melding into our personal dramas yet again. I dream that this great Canadian villain becomes our great Canadian friend, and we can finally enjoy its visits.
