I love a snow storm - especially in the extreme. To me, it's akin to the Super Bowl. Though it raged all day, and some got 2', all is finally quiet here and I can actually see the asphalt on the driveway after the rain. No need to shovel at all.
But many of my friends and neighbors are without heat and power. I get teased mercilessly for it, but it is precisely for times like these that I am your one stop, go-to gal. For decades I've borne the tired jokes/elbows in the ribs because I have EVERYTHING -- and back ups of that. But do the teasers stop to ask why?
It's so I have enough to share with or take care of those who may need it, which has happened many times.
Each city I've lived in had some of their biggest disasters occur during my time there: I get teased about THAT, but it's serious stuff for those in harms way. Tornadoes in Chicago, Boston's Blizzard of '78, the Northridge Earthquake in LA (and the OJ murders... and the Rodney King beatings, causing the entire city to be sprinkled with riots and copycat fires, one of which came through my neighborhood right up to the apartment next door), downtown NY during 9/11 (and for months after, interacting w/ those coming off the pile) and the big black outs in NY too - though I was here for Hurricane Sandy - and hurricane Katrina, Rita and Ike while in Houston. What are the odds? I've seen enough parades of the National Guard to last a lifetime.
I've also happened to be the first on the scene to help the victim(s) of several accidents - car crashes but also a motorcycle that hit a wall right in front of me on Beacon and Arlington coming off Storrow Drive. I was only 19 then. There are more examples.
It's no surprise then that I have all that stuff to help, including skills - disaster certification, basic first aid and CPR training among other things, that now allow me to be a legit first responder in a pinch.
I endure the jibes, but when the sh*t hits the fan, to have the supplies or the skills which come in handy? Suddenly... no more teasing!
Now if only the road between us weren't closed, there'd be a fairly well populated pajama party going on at my warm and lit up house tonight. Complete with my excess of Flashy Blinky rings, snacks, new toothbrushes for all, and plenty o' HOT COFFEE in the morning.
If you need something tonight or tomorrow, you know where to find me.
Grateful for all I have and more, for all I have to give.
Goodnight Friends.
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