Snow can wait, I forgot my mittens…
- Winter, Little Earthquakes (1992)
I don’t really wear mittens. I wear gloves. Well, sort of weird muppet gloves with no fingers. You know, so I can still use my phone and not drop things. And anyway, I didn’t forget them, I was wearing them the whole time. But I did forget my hat. Actually, I didn’t even forget it, I had just decided not to bring it. I didn’t know it would snow.
Snow it did, though. Snow is an understatement. The blizzard came on hard, and fast, and around and up and sideways and with lightning even. Apparently the snow does NOT wait when you neglect your winter bundlements at home, it doesn’t consider your donning a hat and gloves an invitation. It’s not malicious, or even impolite really, it just doesn’t care.
And as hard as it was to try and walk in the whiteout - from the studio in midtown to the subway, then again from the subway to the home - I couldn’t help but smile. It’s amazing what the world can do. It’s amazing to be out in the middle of a surprise blizzard, with snow so heavy it knocks over trees, and ice that pelts your face, and wind that could bowl you over, to not be able to see a foot in front of your face even. Something about being able to see it, to feel it, to really be alive and be IN it…
The snow doesn’t wait for mittens, hats, anything. But even without them, there’s something beautiful about a blizzard.
