During my freshman year of college in South Carolina, we were graced with a very unusual blizzard-turned ice storm that basically froze the entire campus. Carrying on the good southern tradition of reckless sledding, I joined several guys from my dorm that night for some improv bobsledding. This equated to a coffee table face down in the middle of the road and a rope tied to a truck. We would sit 4 deep on the table and get pulled across the road. All was well until careening towards a road sign threw us off the road and into a ditch, the table busting in half upon impact.
Needless to say, I have always equated snow days with reckless fun, taking advantage of any inclines and slopes around.
Little did I realize that my ONE year spent in the northeast would be the year I would encounter a RECORD snowfall!
Of course, my first instinct is always to go out and make the most of the situation. Luckily, we had just the slope!
(I didn't make this btw. Props to whoever did)
Twice I was able to sled down the infamous Rocky Steps. It wasn't the steepest slope, but it was certainly iconic. I experienced some wonderful Philadelphians who were partying and sliding down the steps on whatever they could find (sleds, lids, cardboard, air mattresses, skateboards, etc). I even witnessed a defiant stand against some punks on ATVs who dangerously scaled the steps AS PEOPLE WERE SLEDDING. Near the top, the drunken masses stood in their way and threw whatever they could at them, forcing them to drive around back towards the bottom in defeat. Rocky would have been proud.
Here are a few iphone quality pics of our adventure teams:
Several days after the blizzard, the love affair with snow begins to fade. Having to walk to work over sidewalks that have become solid ice starts to get old. Being unable to park in many places gets frustrating. What we get as "days off" in the south are merely "days" in places that expect the snow.
Reality sunk in even deeper when I walked through the midst of the blizzard to get to Broad Street Ministry on Wednesday night. Although much of the city had shut down, the overnight cafe had remained open for the entirety of that day. This means that many of the 50-75 homeless guests who stayed over Tuesday night were given a place to stay all day Wednesday and into that following overnight. The snow I was beginning to see as a nuisance would be a massive issue for those who are stuck out in it all day.
The cafe system at BSM is part of a larger system all over the city dedicated to providing shelter during the coldest months of the year to the "shelter-resistant" members of society. This refers to those who are either unable or unwilling to sleep in a homeless shelter (they aren't the safest places and don't always have space for everyone!). In response to the massive numbers of homeless who were ending up on the streets in the cold weather, a system evolved. BSM is one of the many hosts of these government funded "cafes" which are set up to basically save lives.
I helped serve dinner and lead Bible study that Wednesday night to people who had for the most part, been in that building all day. I began to think of the alternative they would be facing if it wasn't for the resolve and creativity of people in the city unwilling to let people suffer.
We are approaching Lent, the time when many practice "giving something up" for a period of time. Basically, they are submitting to mild suffering in order to get closer to God. How about those already suffering? Is it possible to take on some of their suffering instead of mildly inflicting pain on ourselves? (thanks for the concept DVH)
Where is our resolve and creativity this lenten season? Are we wasting it all on reckless downhill slopes?
Great post, Mike. And the video was fantastic with just a hint of awesomeness.
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