Snowmageddon = Community + Resilience
Texas had an extremely rare issue this week: Snow.
We tend to get a light dusting of snow each year, and by dusting I mean people outside saying “Look! I think that’s snow! No it’s just rain. No, I think it’s snow! Maybe you’re right… better get the chains for the tires!” type of dusting. It’s usually something we look forward to potentially seeing, but most who haven’t lived in colder areas have no idea how to deal with it for more than 24 hours, let alone four days.
It’s been some 70 years since we’ve experienced this degree (no pun intended) of cold temperatures and snow. The blast froze pipes, knocked out electricity due to a plethora of things, mostly associated with really never thinking we’d see this kind of weather for such a prolonged period. Thankfully, considering the situation, we reacted quickly and were able to patch most things up within the 4-5 days. It wasn’t without its damage, nor sadly, its tragedies. An apartment complex near us burned down due to no water to put out the fire and many, many people suffered damage to homes with burst pipes, and otherwise had a very tough week of rationed food, little or no water, and quite a bit of anxiety for many who have had to deal with this type of situation.
What I did see, and the point of sharing this, is how so many people went out of their way to help others. We saw text message threads and Facebook posts of those who had electricity, water, extra drinking water, food, extra rooms or sleeping bags and space in their homes and were offering to share all of this to help those around them who were without. We didn’t see people fighting over things, but instead saw so many checking on their neighbors, stopping by and catching up with each other and seeing if anyone needed anything. Within the gym, we had a small but mighty network of those who know each other reaching out and checking on each other and simply letting people know that if they needed anything, we’d all work together to find a way to help.
Just like working out, we all grow through difficulty, although such times are definitely not easy and can come with significant, deep losses in all areas. But once we’re on the other side, we can look back and learn how to prevent or better prepare for the future.
In this situation, it was more of a wakeup call alerting many of us to just how dependent we’ve become on Amazon and other conveniences. We took for granted we’d have water and electricity 24/7 (I’d argue there’s no fault in believing this as we’ve advanced much in the past 100 years.). At the same time, growing up in Nebraska where we had winter storms regularly, our grandparents and great grandparents maintained a few weeks’ worth of water, food, firewood, and supplies to have on hand when (not if) we wouldn’t be able to get to the store for a few days or even a couple weeks if the storms were severe. And, in these situations, when they happened, they didn’t panic. They operated out of knowing they had supplies and were prepared to deal with the situation. Because they took the time to prepare, they were also able to better help those around them who may have needed a warm place to stay or supplies to help take care of their families.
I believe out of all the chaos of this situation, not to mention 2020 and its myriad challenges, we have had a reminder and gut-check for our own preparation. Be it physically via fitness and nutrition, slowly stocking up on supplies, growing a garden, or asking how much we depend on next-day deliveries, we have the opportunity to put in the work now, before another disaster strikes. Preparing now will ensure we’ll be more than ready to help those in need around us and be stronger overall as a community.
What steps can you take to prepare for the next time we have something unexpected happen?