I’ve lived in Toronto for over 26 years. Very rarely does Toronto ever get any snow before Christmas…except for this year. The city is once again blanketed by the fluffy white stuff and unfortunately, many are not happy about it.
I’m the opposite…I love the snow. Maybe it’s easy for me to love snow since I work at home and I don’t own a car. But that doesn’t mean I avoid going outside. It’s so invigorating to take walks outside. The acoustic changes and since others avoiding going out, it’s easy to feel quiet solitude.
Being born and raised in Ottawa, it’s engrained me to enjoy snow. As a child, many a recess was spent building snow forts and throwing snow balls (yes, I know that was naughty). Have you ever lied down in a pile of snow? It’s cold and wet but it has a fresh smell to it. It feels like an out-of-body experience.
Many Canadians (especially outside of Toronto) are so used to snow being part of life. I always find it sad to hear many of my fellow citizens complain about the snow. Many flee south to avoid it. But why? We are so lucky to have it. It’s what makes us unique. It’s in our DNA to be immersed by snow. I firmly believe that when avoiding snow, a Canadian is not just denying themselves a unique cultural perspective but also an important aspect to their physical health (as long as you’re dressed warmly:)).
Another reason why we must savour the snow is that it might not be here forever unless our society gets super serious about climate change soon. In my years in Toronto, I’ve already noticed that the number of days of snow is shrinking on a year-by-year basis. About 10 years ago, I went jogging on New Year’s Day in a green-grass-surrounded Toronto park as I wore shorts. That’s not normal. That’s not right. I firmly believe that the industrialized world (which is inhabited by traditional snow bearing countries) could have done something more about climate change by now if it weren’t the fact that people don’t like the cold and snow. Be careful what you wish for.
So let’s enjoy! Let the bright white glare of a landscape bring you joy. Feel the snow. Love the snow.
