by Pamela Ashton

Created on: January 13, 2010

“A winter storm warning is posted for much of the area from now until 10 p.m. tomorrow night,” the forecaster states. “Accumulations of snow could reach up to an amazing two feet in some locations, so be prepared for possible power outages.” Getting snowed in, even in the best of circumstances, can be an inconvenience. In the worst situations, there may be loss of life. For some, being cut off from the rest of the world by the deep and drifting snows may bring a sense of panic.

More often, in spite of troublesome circumstances - or possibly because of them - being snowed in can bring opportunities to our lives we wouldn’t experience otherwise. An old Welsh proverb says, “Adversity comes with instruction in his hand.” What the adversity of being snowed in teaches us is as personal and unique as each individual is. It can be a time for reacquainting with the pioneering spirit that resides in all of us; we are taken back to our balance with nature. Being snowed in humbles us; we aren’t as in charge of things as we often think we are. We have an opportunity to draw closer to our families. We have an opportunity to see how prepared (or not) we really are, for emergencies.

There are very few people I know of that haven’t watched documentaries about our ancestors with some feeling of wistfulness. What is the appeal in pulling handcarts across plains in harsh conditions to settle the West; or sailing across vast, unknown oceans in wooden, rat infested vessels to find a New World; or blasting off into space on a ride of tons of explosive propellants? Deep inside each of us is a hero waiting to get out. We want to experience the feeling of conquering when all odds seem to be against us; we want to test our mettle. Being snowed in isn’t on the scale of the huge accomplishments of our pioneering forefathers, but it brings that spirit out in us. It makes us aware of life on a very personal level; we must depend upon our own initiative and ingenuity to survive. When the power is out, the roads are closed, and the snow keeps falling as the darkness of night descends, we have no one to turn to but ourselves. Perhaps there are neighbors nearby; perhaps not. It doesn’t matter. The primary responsibility for our security is our own; for a brief moment in time, we are intrepid explorers and pioneers 

In our exploration, we discover again what we knew all along: we aren’t really in control of our world.

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