Snow-Pocalypse Blues (Part 4)

Kindness has the power to change the world.

I'm convinced of that now.

I know that... because during what turned out to be an all day event... (26 hours away from my house.... 20 hours without sleep.... 4 to 5 hours trapped on a highway....  13 hours without food..... -9 degree wind chills.... 3 foot snow drifts...) What I found is that... while some people needed help themselves (in one way or another)... every person I came in contact with was willing to help others in whatever way they could.  And when that finally comes home to you.... That the world can be good.  It has the power to change the way you look at everything.      

I wasn't as conscious of that when they first took me to the shelter.  In fact I was still angry and frustrated.  And the dude we picked up along the way (who was also stuck) didn't really help me feel the "goodness" all that much.

He was a good ol' boy that talked too much.  And what he said came out like there was no filter between his mouth and his brain.  

When he first got into the truck he started introducing himself like we were all waiting on him to start the party.

When he noticed me, (my scrubs) he asked what I did for a living, and I told him I worked at
Hillcrest as a nurse.  Then he said... What does your wife do??...  Construction?... (chuckle).

Then he said.... Do you guys have some kinda role reversal thing going??? Then he laughed and laughed and looked at me like I should be laughing too.

When we got to the shelter (community center)... One of the firemen immediately made coffee and they took down official information (name, car info... etc).  The talking dude... started shoveling snow... (I was surprised by that)..  And I began texting and calling friends again to try and get a ride home.

After helping shovel the community center entrance.... my new best friend (who already had a ride coming) sat down next to me and began talking about prostates. 

You're a nurse... He said... Tell me... If you have surgery for cancer of the prostate (he might have said "prostRate")... does that mean you lose your "plumbing"?  Cause I.. heard the surgery makes you lose your "plumbing".  (He gestured casually to his crotch). 

It was from that point on... that all he talked about to me was "plumbing".  And it was also from that piont on that all I did was try to escape.        

In between moments of distraction when he found someone else to talk to (which was frequently.... making his rounds at the party)... I continued texting....trying to get a ride home.  Occasionally one of the younger fireman (looked like a kid) would come in and offer coffee.  And somewhere along the way it began to occur to me that this place might be my new home for a few days.... And my stomach dropped.

Within the hour my new friend was climbing in the cab of a large white truck that was carrying him home.  As the truck drove away... It felt like I was the last kid waiting to get picked up from kindergarten.  And right in that moment I almost lost it.

After 21 hours without sleep I asked someone if there was someplace I could lay down and the younger "fire-kid" directed me into a pool-table-room and brought in a pillow.  He apologized for not having a cot and said that the community center wasn't set up as a shelter.  And then he hung around for a few seconds like he wanted to offer me more... but he was silent.... and we both knew that there was nothing more he could do.... nothing any of us could do.  That we were all in the same boat and that all we could do was offer each other what we had.      

It was then, I think, that I first started appreciating the situation and the people I was meeting along the way and all the stuff that I had...

(was alive... in a warm building.... access to hot coffee... All of my family and friends were ok...)    

The fire-kid shut off the lights for me and closed the doors and I took off my wet socks and shoes..... And stretched out on the floor (it was cold)...

A little while later he brought me in a blanket and I fell into a very light exhausted type of sleep.

It seemed like just a little while later (in reality... 3 hours had passed) someone was coming in and waking me up and telling me that they had found me a ride home.

I hopped up... and said.... YOU'RE FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!

He said no... The guys from station 3 are heading near your house.  They're gonna take you home.

I wanted to hug him... (but as a male nurse... I'm already behind the eight-ball on the "man thing")...  So I just said THANKS (with the sound of disbelief).

He told me to get my stuff and to meet them out in the front of the building... so I did just that.

As I walked through the community center the "fire-kid" found me again and said... You should take some pizza with you on you're way out.  I told him thanks.... but I wanted to wait to eat with my family when I got home.  And then I popped into the truck and unbelievably we were heading out.

We dropped off another dude before me but I didn't care because I was on my way.

When we came into my neighborhood, they had to drop me at the entrance because the snow was too deep and there were cars stuck... blocking the way, but I didn't care because I was getting close.

As I walked through my neighborhood, I trudged through 3 feet snow drifts again.  Like before... my feet, hands and face were getting numb.  I had to stop a few times to catch my breath... but I didn't care because I was almost home.

As I came up to my house I was out of breath like a marathon runner.... and exhausted.  Instead of lifting my arms to get out my keys I just hit the door a few times with my floppy arms... and it opened.  My wife.. my four year old son were there to meet me and helped me inside.  My daughter (8 years old) hugged me and gave me something she had written for me while I was gone.

After sitting for just a moment to catch my breath, I started texting my friends and family to let them know I was at home... safe.  I ran my hot shower and went down stairs to pour myself my favorite adult beverage.

But before I stepped into my shower I said a prayer of thanks for getting home safely, and for all the goodness of people that I saw along the way.  And I said a prayer for those who weren't home yet. 

Then I drank to all of those who helped me (and helped others) and to all of my friends who worried and prayed.  And I drank to a world that was suddenly full of goodness.  And I prayed that the world could someday live like that always.  And for the first time since I first got the Blues I looked into the future for just a little bit, and I believed that one day the world would finally do just that.