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

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 12, 2014 at 6:03 AM

    Words of wisdom and kindness! I'm a Connecticut neighbor and completely understand you. No matter what hits us we have each other...NEIGHBORS! The North East is made up of a special brand of people...tough yet always lending a helping hand. We need that tough outer layer of skin for the elements we ender over the winter season. Stay safe my friend and as we say......Bunker down! :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts On Thanksgiving- Part I

Image
Thanksgiving  2008 OK, now I'm going to sound like the Old Man that I am. This is about Thanksgiving, after all, and Thanksgiving is an old tradition that dates back to Abraham Lincoln. So if you get bored with old-timer stories, hang in there, because this is going somewhere, and I have something to say.   Back when I was a young boy, Thanksgiving was a really big deal. It wasn't just Black Friday Eve, or the day that people sat in front of the Television with a plate of food, watching every mind numbing football game that your 200 - Plus television channels will bring you. It was a time to be with your family and enjoy a big meal together. It was a time to reflect on everything that you were thankful for. People got dressed for dinner. Mom and the other women of the family would start cooking and baking days in advance whatever they could, so that the family could sit and enjoy each other's company. No one worked, except for certain utility workers, and people that w...
Read more

My View

Image
Well, here we are in the thick of another Presidential campaign, and the haters have been at it since the beginning of the last one. They don't seem to want to stick to any legitimate issues; they would rather throw whatever nasty, despicable lie they can find out there to see what they can get others to believe. "He wasn't born here!" (A lie!) He's not a Christian (A lie and, even if he wasn't, so what?) He hates America... what? Do you even hear yourselves, or don't you care about how ignorant you sound? I don't care if you don't like the man's politics or not, but throwing hateful and ignorant statements out there just makes you look bad. If you don't like where he stands on the political spectrum, fine. Go after him on the issues, if you even can, at this point. I didn't hear this kind of crap when President Bush was spending us into debt. Or when Cheney said that he didn't give a damn about what the American people wanted. Th...
Read more

Of Dogs And People

                             Of Dogs and People                      February 26, 2011 I lost another of my best friends today. Shadow was almost 16 years old, and ancient by the standards of his species. He had been doing well up until about two weeks ago, when he started going down hill very quickly. Yesterday, he was having a problem emptying his bowels. Although he was almost completely blind, he kept going out the dog door all night, trying to relieve himself. This morning, he left the yard, through the electric dog fence, which must have caused him a great deal of discomfort. He crossed the road and went into the woods, probably to die. We noticed that he was gone almost immediately, or we never would have found him. My wife, Sheryl, charge...
Read more