Wow-what a week. We went from great weather to a snowstorm within a matter of a few days. Hard to admit that I was caught somewhat off guard, even though it is December. I knew it was going to snow but did not prepare myself for the change. You will recall that we experienced the blizzard of 2016. The storm lived up to the hype, dumping over a foot of snow. It is amazing to me how it can get so cold so quickly, even in winter.
Bad weather makes us slow down
Three life lessons come to mind when I think about how a major snowstorm affects us. First, we have to slow down. The roads are slick, and it is dangerous to drive too fast. If you do not slow down, you will end up in a ditch. In life, sometimes slowing down is the right thing to do. We tend to rush through life without paying much attention to what is going on around us. If you are not careful, you may end up in a dangerous situation.
We stick to the basics in cold weather
Second, the storm forces us to prioritize our needs. Everyone flocks to the stores for supplies to stock up before the storm hits. Notice that we buy what we need like milk, bread, beer and toilet paper. This lesson is helpful when thinking about how to spend your money and your time. Both are limited resources. Don’t waste them on things that are not important. You will regret it.
We change our plans when it is cold
Third, we become more flexible when it is cold. Think about all the plans that had to change. Thousands of flights were canceled, stores and schools closed, and we all had to hunker down during the blizzard. Being flexible is critical because you cannot control the weather at all. You may experience a similar situation at some point in your life. It will change in ways you do not anticipate and you will need to be flexible to deal with it. Hopefully, we will not have any more weather surprises…but you never know it is still 2020.
And you may ask yourself, “What is that beautiful house?”
Once in a life time by the Talking Heads
And you may ask yourself, “Where does that highway go to?”
You may ask yourself, “Am I right? Am I wrong?”
And you may tell yourself, “My God! What have I done?”
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to sons.