Flurries and Gratitude

Cincinnati Memories.

The first snowfall.

A little bit of rain and then, a little bit of snow.  It was predicted. No surprise other than the fact that prediction itself was accurate.

I was leaving for work a bit early on that first day of experiential winter.  Just a block from home, I saw a young lady dressed in less than the layered clothing required for winter weather.  She was slipping and sliding around the parking lot in her attempts to scrape her windows with, listen up, a credit card!

OK.  Can't ignore that without making an effort to help, right?  So I pulled into the parking lot, grabbed my scraper and got out of the car.

Whoa!  Her reaction mandates that I immediately stop with my hands in surrender mode.  I meant no harm, but I apparently scared the poor girl half to death.



After she understood that I was simply a recent Minnesota transplant prepared for winter, she let me clean her windshield and we both got under way.

The second "storm" of the season.

Weather stations are predicting 2 to 4 inches of the white stuff!  Schools are closing.  People are leaving work early.  I imagine grocery shelves have been completely decimated in anticipation.

Snowmageddon arrives today!

Hold the phone. Two inches?  A true Minnesotan calls that a dusting and can't decide if shoveling is even worth the time.

So, on this day of “crippling flurries’ it’s time to leave the convention center after a  day of sales meetings,  I see that I need to clear the snow and the protective layer of ice clinging to my windows. I start the car and while it's warming up, make good use of the time with my telescoping, snow-broom/brush/scraper/squeegee tool.  It might even make hot-dogs, but I haven't read the manual.

Another of our attendees walks to her car in some type of suede shoes, her toes poking out like it was the 4th of July. I offer to clean her car as well.  She left relieved and could actually see out the front window.  I was also relieved that this time, it was possible to forgo the stance of a surrendering criminal.

As long as I was at it, I cleaned off a few more cars knowing their owners.  They won't ever know who did this, they'll just get to their car and be able to start and go.  They'll wonder who.  They'll wonder why.  And nothing will ever be said.

Thank you God for allowing me to live in Minnesota.  Thanks for letting me have a little fun with these stories.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  May you have safe travels and amazing dinners.  May you enjoy the company and love of family and friends.  May you laugh at stories told and may others laugh at the stories you tell.  And in the midst of it all, give glory and thanks to God.