A Grey Snow Day

A Grey Snow Day
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom

Seeing Snow Day a Different Way
New York City, January 25, 2011:

Snow day, again.

Alas, I'm off to work. I tried to appreciate it this morning by imagining I was in grade school, looking out the window, watching the snowflakes fall.

Alas, I grew up in California. It snowed once there, for five minutes, when I was in fourth grade.

When I came to New York for grad school it snowed and I skipped class to run down to Central Park, it was my first winter wonderland. I was happy then.

Thus, as I began my traverse to the office I was reminded of the stark and sullen differences between adulthood and childhood.

I thought about how petty my anger is whenever my boys climb hills of snow and carelessly walk through the slush at street corners. Usually, my frustration is due to worrying about them taking a misstep and falling into the street and being run over by oncoming traffic or knowing what comes next—they’ll walk into the house and drag dirt and snow everywhere. And then, inevitably, I’ll have to clean it up.

Ultimately, I often end up scolding or laughing at myself, because, after all, I think, "Relax, they're wearing snow boots. What good are they if you aren't allowed to walk in the snow with them? Let them have a little fun..."

I also fret over how stern and crusty and sour and tainted I've become in my “old” age. I constantly remind myself that I should worry less and let go more; let the boys enjoy life while they can. In fact, I tell myself that I should dare enjoy it with them.

Alas, I've learned that as we grow older and assume more responsibilities—children, mortgages, and marriage—struggling to keep our stodgy and stifling job to support everything, well knowing we are lucky enough to have a job and that we should likewise appreciate that we have kids, a home and a partner to handle and share it all with—what I've learned is that as a responsible adult, akin to the tumbled-over baby carriage I saw this morning, you quickly abandon your childhood and forget how wonderful life truly is.

Thus, I was inspired this morning.

Lately, I’ve simply trudged off to the office, making a bee-line to the subway, without taking note of the beauty that surrounds me. Although I always have my camera at my hip, I’ve rarely used it.

Today, I made an effort though and I was immediately reminded of how beautiful life truly is.
I also took note of how important it is to make the effort to see things differently, to look at people, places and things from various angles and POVs (points of view).

Moreover, I realized that we should consistently attempt to view what is intangible in our lives differently as well—our circumstances, the different opinions and perspective of others, and our problems….which usually stem from the latter.

“For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.” Martha Washington

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