The weather forecast calls for possible snow later today, then again tomorroiw. I told Nuria that she might have snow to contend with when she leaves work at 5PM today. Then my thoughts turned to an incident that happened many years ago.
I was living and working in Roanoke, Virginia at the time. The company was located at the Sheraton Drive exit off I-81. It began snowing and everyone went home, except for one employee named Melissa. She stayed and worked late.
It was dark when I received a phone call from Melissa. She was at work and her car was stuck – the snow in the parking lot was too deep for her vehicle. So I climbed back into my Subaru, which had four wheel drive, and returned to the work location. Though the snow in the parking lot had gotten deep, the Subaru had no problem driving in it. I picked up Melissa and we got back on I-81.
The interstate highway was empty of traffic, except for a snowplow that was applying salt to the road surface. I followed the snowplow until I had to exit I-81 and turn onto I-581, an interstate "spur" that goes through the heart of Roanoke. I can still recall driving down I-581. There was no other traffic, in either direction, north or south. My Subaru was the only vehicle on the road. I drove to the Colonial Avenue exit and dropped off Melissa at her home, and then I drove to my apartment on Walnut Avenue. I didn't see any moving vehicles on that entire trip, except for the snowplow. I had no problems driving in the snow – the Subaru was a champ. I parked in the apartment's parking lot and returned to my apartment.
By morning the snow was deep enough that the Subaru and I had to wait for the parking lot to be "pushed" before we could leave. That was fine; I had nowhere important to be. I looked outside at the white landscape for a while, then returned to my rocker-recliner chair, picked up the TV remote, and switched on the TV. I was prepared to go nowhere for a while.
1 comment:
Greetings
What a nice story --- snow gives me a sense of peacefulness and calm. Maybe it's like that for everyone. You're a great friend to do this for your co-worker --otherwise she might have had to find a cot and prepared to be there for a while.
But did you take hot chocolate with marshmallows and a sandwich -- Employees like her used to be commonplace --nowadays-- that trait is lost on workers.
I prefer to be stuck indoors when this type weather hits. We used to have some really good snowfalls -- now you just don't get very much except to be a nuisance. In the old days --it used to be a day changing experience to remain home by the fire. Now co-workers will offer to come get you because no one wants to miss that almighty dollar!
Snow also tricks ones mind into thinking the world is clean, peaceful and your life is good --- it requires one to bring focus back to basic living tasks such as staying warm, basic food preps and possibly some exercise wearing boots with cobwebs that need dusting.
Thanks for the memories !
Great post. LL
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