Move on, Survivor. As I sit here and write in Plano, TX, the last few days, we have been witnessing unearthing of the fury of nature and the huge downpour of the white sand (snow). Texas isn’t a place that typically beats out Alaska, Northeast, Midwest United States in the race to the bottom of the thermometer reading. Texas, if any, would do a quick demo and remind the world of also a run-in contribution to the world’s snow destinations. Never before in my life— I have spent 26 years in this big state— have I witnessed such sights.
2020 had taught the people of this world to live and work from home, and people had gotten somewhat used to work from home wearing their pajamas and meeting their co-workers virtually, and marveling at the seamless transition thanks to some of the wonderful inventions of the previous century that enabled this work from home. People all over the world had just started to feel a bit better as the cure of the world, the COVID vaccine had arrived, and now everyone was lining up to get the needle pierce their arms and get another prick 3-4 weeks later, and the world would return to pre-2020 normalcy. But wait, 2021 was getting ready to bring out its own signature.
Historically dominant day of the red was upstaged instead by the otherwise listless and somber white. Children had been awaiting a 3-day weekend and were looking forward to enjoying the President’s Day off but not with the surprise that was in store for them. Kids had earmarked the calendars as typically this time of the year, Texans start having their rehearsals for spring. Kids were awarded more than the promised 3-day weekend, even got more than doubled, almost tripled that ask but that ask came with an asterisk.
Scouts (boys or girls) may have had a lesson or few in surviving while camping but even that is at a campsite and the ruggedness is expected. This was camping while in the confines of your home without having the electricity, no internet, no heat, no water, no watching TV, no ordering of food and we were all thinking lockdown was tough. Move on lockdown; these four days have defeated you and how. Just when we thought the digital life could be your new normal, mother nature reminded you that the same tools and even your needed resources could be at ransom.
Everyone thought once the world returned to normalcy, they would not have to deal with the tranquil roads and expected the honking of the cars and screeching of the tires and humming of the engine to make its way back. However, the last few days have even taken that tranquility to another level. I haven’t heard a vehicle sound for few hours and mind you; I live pretty close to a busy road. Daily drives of the shipping trucks, amazon delivery trucks and so much so, the normal USPS trucks haven’t been visible. What lockdown couldn’t do; these four days of white storm achieved. They even closed down grocery stores otherwise even considered an essential business during the days of lockdown, so much so that people considered it a human watching event during the peak days of lockdown.
Hats off to the people of Texas who have been ahead nationwide in the vaccine race but now have encountered nature’s fury. This is a time for patience and compassion. Be kind and compassionate with people around you who may be left wanting. Lend a helping hand when you can. Reach out to someone in need. Be resilient so we all can climb back out of this depth together. Heart bleeds more for the businesses who have been challenged twice in the last year and a number of them may feel survival issues. They were looking for that oasis and had spotted one but it seems like it was a mirth.
Lastly, everything is big in Texas, even the power cuts and outages. For a state that is the largest producer of electricity to be facing the power challenges themselves is extraordinary. North Texas had just witnessed the biggest pileup of cars in the history; with 133 cars involved in a pileup and they thought they had recovered in a couple of days came a bigger and faster curveball. But again, a friend in need is a friend indeed and let’s all fight out of this together. The last 365 days have had two seasons of the survivor series, and boy, they have been better than their reel namesake. Take this time out to teach your kids and yourselves that you have survived two of them. Be strong and you can weather more storms that are thrown in your path.
