One of the nice aspects of living in Ollahoma is the fact our climate is relatively moderate, which includes relatively mild winters. So when it snows just a couple or a few times each winter, it is delightful, although more treacherous for travel.
Our cities and towns are not as equipped to clear ice and snow from roads as those parts of the country receiving more wintery weather, so it takes longer to clear the roads, and meanwhile most Okies are not well experienced navigating winters roads.
What is normal daily fare in say Madison, Wisconsin in January (I lived there for a year after college), that is getting inches of snow often daily, is a major stressor here. Nature here does not require us to develop the habit of driving in snow and ice.
So were my wife’s thoughts about me venturing out last night to get something to eat. She being from the Philippines, this 2-3 inches of snow (as if last night, now it’s 7 inches) may well have been for her a life-threatening blizzard. For someone with considerable high level past experience driving in wintery weather (from the year up North), 2-3 inches is nothing…except that stint up North was over 25 years ago, we Okies clear out roads slower, and people just generally have low level driving skills here driving in wintery weather since we don’t get much wintery weather.
Truth be told, I think I go through this every year. It snows and ices, and I don’t think it’s that big of a deal and venture out in exploration, thinking more about the adventure or need to get out, yet run into treacherous road hazards, vehicles slid off the road, and drivers seemingly not mentally prepared for navigating the sudden, unpredictable shifts in snow and ice on the road surface.
When I ventured out last night with optimism, to just go two miles to the nearest gas station, by the time I was headed back I was praying Hail Mary’s to get back safely. Not as much because I felt unease with my own driving, as with other people’s driving.
I kept getting stuck behind a very slow car, seemingly so slow to avoid sliding off the road, but too slow to prevent getting stuck in the middle of the road if you hit a rough spot or start going up hill. I kept praying for the other drivers in front of me (in frustration) that they wouldn’t slow traffic down so much that me and other cars could end up stuck going uphill.
As cars slowed down in front of me, I slowed down, resulting in lost traction, and at moments the tires were spinning.
It was a short adventure and life lesson.
It reminded me to be more safe driving in winter weather in Oklahoma, including the next time it snows this season (if it even does) and to keep in mind that Okies just aren’t used to driving in winter weather, all the more reason to stay home and play it safe.
Our lack of winter weather driving skills (including still to some degree my own) isn’t really our fault. It’s because we don’t get much winter weather in which to practice driving under those conditions
At any rate, I keep being aware there is a spiritual meaning to everything around us. God has us understand this through general observation, reflection, and intuition.
And so as I gazed out across the falling snow, and now this white landscape, I think God created snow (in part) as artwork to be enjoyed from the warmth of the home looking outward, according to the dictates of Nature. Snow and cold weather drives us indoors, but its whiteness reminds us of purity and childlike innocence.
White being a symbol of purity, the good, the absence of evil, and innocence. And once snow drives us indoors to hunker down, it simultaneously beckons us to wonder at what it symbolizes by musing upon it through our windows. It seems to be one way each year God purifies us, but with beauty and joy.