The Clock Is Running...
Well, we suffered the FIRST part of this "two-part" winter storm with about 4.5 inches here in the Summit City. And it managed to close the schools in the area.
Our sidewalk and steps out back have been cleared in the anticipation of "part deux" of this winter blast.
Right now, no one knows how much MORE snow will be dumped on us through tomorrow.
Temps outside are hovering (?) around ZERO, which means it's very bracing should you find the need to wake up...which I DID...and I AM (now).
We're just counting down the time before this next stage hits us.
We could get JUST snow...or a combo of snow & freezing rain (not MY first choice) or a mish-mosh of whatever Old man Winter decides is "best".
Perhaps it'll be just a plain old snowfall of a foot or more...oh, yeah. Now THAT oughta make life for the criminals really rough...(breaks my heart).
There WILL be those die-hards that just HAVE to get from one crib to another down here, and I can't wait to see them TRY and drive through this.
But, let it be known NOW, that I DO plan to "laze" any and ALL boomcars that happen by...it's what I do to piss THEM off (because their damnable thumping every day pisses ME off).
Think of it as "returning the favor"...ROFL!
And my GREEN laser is just the ticket..much brighter than my RED ones.
Hey, it passes the time as well as defeats any and all boredom this ghettohood provides.
Yes, boys & girls...we've got ourselves a BLIZZARD WARNING ...right here in River City...with a capital *B* (that rhymes with *P* and that stands for pool)...as the song goes.
It was enjoyable to watch the news yesterday evening, seeing ALL the people "scrambling (as the reporter stated) for supplies" at the local stores, clearing shelves much like a quasi-pre-apocalyptic scenario.
Like I said yesterday...a LITTLE bit of FORESIGHT goes a LONG way.
People these days are not anywhere close to the people of the days when I was growing up...that's for sure.
It seems that TODAY, people are more entrenched in the "immediate"...the "here and now" as it were.
Must be that "instant" aspect to our society...everything NOW, or when WE need it...and not before.
Sounds much like that ANT and the GRASSHOPPER gig...all over again.
(deja vu anyone?)
Seems I grew up in the era of the ANT, and these days, all I see around me are GRASSHOPPERS...LOL!
That old Aesop really knew his Grecian sh*t, didn't he?
You all remember that fable, right?
The ant spends the summer storing up food for winter, while the grasshopper passes the time whiling away the hours.
When winter arrives, he begins to starve and goes to the ant, who pretty much reams him a new thorax and rebukes him for his idleness.
Moral of the story?
"To work today is to eat tomorrow" or "Idleness brings want".
Yeah, Mr. Grasshopper...how does it feel to WANT?
In today's world, I'm sure that the Grasshopper would file for FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, and get on the dole, along with ALL the little grasshopper dependents, and he would still sit back and do nothing FOR that assistance.
If you prefer a more "up-to-date" version, grab a copy of Pixars' film: A Bug's Life.
(loose adaptation with the grasshoppers as mafia-like extortionists, exacting tribute from the ant colony)
Still, you HAVE to admit there is value in what Aesop had to say all those centuries ago.
For example, if you DO prepare for the worst, and that "worst" never arrives,. you have a surplus of bounty that can be shared through charitable giving.
(and that's worked pretty well so far, hasn't it?)
But to sit about, waiting for "someone else" to provide for what you YOURSELF are capable of securing is sheer folly.
(we also call it public assistance...or welfare in many cases)
Our government has made it easier to "become" a GRASSHOPPER than to remain that ANT.
Trouble with that is when you have FEWER "ants", and MORE "grasshoppers", not only do you have less workers providing for that winter that's coming, but you also have a greater strain upon the food amounts gathered BY those ants.
I KNOW you can clearly see the analogy here.
There is NO excuse for never being prepared...none at all.
There may be a "reason", and as my Mom would remind me, were she here: "It had better be a damn GOOD one".
And maybe, during times like this, when it's cold outside, the snow is falling (or soon will be again), and we've plenty of "reflective moments", we can ponder whether or not we've become a grasshopper somewhere along the way, when we should have stayed that ant.
I'd like to believe that real Americans are more like those ants...doing what is required of them in order to sustain themselves and survive.
I do know that America was not colonized, explored and built into a great nation by a bunch of folks sitting on their duffs.
It took a lot of hard work...and a lot of courage in order to make that happen.
It took regular individuals, WILLING and able to do the improbable, in order to make what was once considered impossible...possible.
Sometimes, it all starts with being a bit more prepared than the next person.
Sometimes, it can start with a creature as small as that ant.
And you know...with enough ants, you literally CAN move mountains...just not all at once.
Therein lies the lesson for today.
Pace yourself outside today..take it easy, and do dress for the frigid temperatures.
(wouldn't want to lose ANY of you)

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.