Sn0w3d
For those of you not lucky enough to live in the mid-Atlanic region of the United States, we got slammed with a ton of snow. I spent a good two hours outside shoveling a path to my car, then shoveling a path for my car to enter to the street. Shoveling is somewhat of an RPG mini-game, sans a tangible reward at the end when you’re done. At least my experience felt like an RPG; I first had to tromp around the snow looking for a shovel on my apartment’s property. I found a shovel underneath the deck, except this one was broken, the wood handle having rotted off. Tossing it aside in chagrin, I dug around the snow under the deck and found another shovel. All I needed was a random encounter with a Snow Bunny and the experience would’ve been complete.
Still, finally shoveling away as my iPhone churned out tracks to keep my mind focused on my imagination as opposed to my task, it was an almost serene experience. The crisp cold, the still air, and the hushed silence that usually accompanies a fresh snowfall, it all melded together to make a grueling experience a little less… well, tedious. As my body twisted and my arms lifted, the exertions felt more like a good workout than an irksome chore. After two hours of work, a walkable path from my apartment was revealed and my car free from its snowy shackles.
I have to admit, the experience was mildly zen-like. I was in the zone while shoveling, and the mental clarity I had between the combination of physical exertion and musical stimulation was amazing. I think I can almost understand why some people really like snow. Almost.
But maybe that’s because I don’t have a 4-wheel drive vehicle.
