Thoughts From My Ice Cave: Winter Storm Watch

 We are again on the verge of being hit by another major Winter storm.... This one, the great (Ha!) Lonnie Quinn is calling a Nor'easter. Again, the news shows are playing it all up.. trying, it seems, to instill fear in the already chilled hearts of the people of New York. The people, for their part, are dutifully stocking up necessities, getting ready for the next battering that the tri-state area will take.    The pols go before the cameras to show their serious faces, and to assure the public that they are ready for any contingency. We just shake our heads and grumble. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
  We are a proud group of citizens, we of this tri-state area. We have been battered and bruised by all that Mother Nature could throw at us... ice storms, Hurricanes, blizzards, nor'easters that can be either rain and wind, snow and wind, or a combination of both. Floods... even tornadoes; yet we endure and move on. Oh, we may bitch and moan and complain, but we do what we must do to get through it all. We're a tough breed, surviving economic disasters, attacks on our cities, politicians who wish us ill, and unsympathetic fellow citizens from other areas. We have been called rude, cold, and nasty; and yet, if a disaster strikes, we are there volunteering to do all that we can to help. If a tourist needs help in New York City, all they have to do is ask one of the citizens, or a cop. The answer may sound harsh or gruff to the tourist, but that is just the way that we talk. Our hearts are just as warm as those in any part of the country. We care about our fellow citizens, and we do what we can to help.

  This has been a harsh Winter.. no doubt about it; but we will get through it. The snow and ice will soon be a receding memory, another story to tell the children and grandchildren of the generations yet to come. We are battered and bruised, but not bowed or defeated. It would take more than a few storms and cold temps to bring us low. These conditions are just natures way of reminding us how precious the Spring, Summer, and early Fall months are. A real denizen of this area knows and appreciates entire year, and all that it brings. I bitch and moan and curse the falling temps and the fading light in the late part of the year, but that's my release. Truth be told, I wouldn't have it any other way.
  So, when the storm is over, and the non-stop madness of post storm coverage is blasting from the radios and televisions throughout the area,  just remember: This, too, shall pass. Better, warmer days are coming.
  From this New Yorker, to all of my friends and family out there... be safe,  stay warm, and I'll see some of you when it's all said and done. Peace.
John Zaffino
Kent Lakes, New York February 11, 2014