It's just a bit of snow...

brrrrrr.....

Brrrr.... it's a quiet, cold morning... just perfect.  Folks are still at home sleeping, not rushing down the streets, so I can actually hear the tick, tick, tick of my clock on the wall. Faintly I can hear the sounds of hubby's television down in his man-cave. I have a busy day ahead, so I am enjoying this quiet and peaceful start. 

I was so amazed at the number of people that didn't go to work yesterday.  It was unbelievable.  Anything for a day off, because yesterday sure didn't warrant it. Heck in the city we barely needed salt on the sidewalks.  Yet, the streets were barren of cars and folks hid behind their closed doors afraid of the cold.

I will give you it was a bit chilly, the teens are always a bit too cool for some folks.  But... seriously? 

I feel like we've created a caricature of ourselves.  Are we wimps?  At home in Pennsylvania folks are still living their lives and wading through deep snow to go to work. We get a dusting and close up the streets?  Heck Dallas got his harder than we did.

Is this what we have become in this country?  Or was it more it's December.  Maybe people were looking for any reason to have an extra day to finish their decorating (I am doing that today), get some extra shopping done, and just spend time with family?  I guess we will find out when these "storms" hit in January, February and March.  Or maybe there are that many children that parents did not know what to do with as school was closed and back up plans aren't always realistic?

beautiful... but...

Or... is this more an outcome of our politically correct society.  The one where no one loses, everyone gets a trophy, no one's feelings get hurt, each person gets a "fair" share?  Because of all of this have we lost our cutting edge?  Our desire to do more and more and succeed regardless?  Have we forgotten how to face things and over come them, have we raised a generation that never learned?

I had a staff person call me yesterday, as I was heading to work at normal speeds on nice clear roads, and ask me what they should do.  More snow was predicted and they just weren't sure... More Snow???  There was not an inch on the ground in St. Louis and the prediction was for maybe an inch accumulation. I had a hard time answering that.  This wasn't a child that had called me, but an adult a few years my senior. A big sturdy strapping guy.  This should have been no issue. My answer probably did not provide comfort, it wasn't meant to.  My answer was simple.  Make your own choice, if you wish to lose a day of pay and have an unexcused absence, go for it. Needless to say, he made it in and a full five minutes before the start of his shift.

Definitely not a reason to stop the world...

I understand the one that fell on the ice the day before and needs to stay in bed.  I understand when it is too slick to get safely to a bus, or when it is bitterly cold and you have a health reason to avoid it... that I get... but just because it might snow?

I am not a cold hearted person.  I'm not.  But I am a realist and I am tired of the wimpy attitude that seems so prevalent.  I am tired of the look what life has done to me attitude, what about a look at what I have done with life attitude?

I encounter people everyday that are down-trodden. I encounter those that gave up and those that chose to rule the world. Life is what we make of it, not what it does to us.