With conflict of all sorts making the papers every day, Minnesotans new and native are patting themselves on the back this weekend for rising to the occasion of the classic conflict Person Vs. Nature (think 8th grade English class).
News media offer us daily reports about the other forms of conflict: Person vs. Self (Denny Hecker), Person vs. Society (terrorists), Person vs. Person (political games of gridlock). It’s no wonder we feel a little out of control. Or do we?
I dedicate this entry to the hearty Snow Captains of Northern Neighborhoods and the spirit they bring to a conflict of us vs. nature, as they stand behind their 2-stage snowblowers ready, and even more curiously to me, anxious, to move 50 tons of snow per hour.
It’s become a modern community tradition. As neighbors in Minnesota, a key point of common interest is often ad hoc collaboration that follows a significant snowfall. People who line up to partake in the conflict vs. Nature fall into four categories: Observers, Shovellers, Deputies with the 1-stage snowblower and Captains of the 2-stage machines. Unrehearsed and unscheduled, the teams often tackle challenges with hardly a word spoken. Universal gestures are more the rule.
Non-commercial snowblowers started rolling out of the assembly plants in the mid-1970s – heavy 2-stage models that arrived just in time to help suburban families clear the driveways too big or long to shovel. Snow-pup style blowers (1-stage) evolved in the late 1980s, offering maneuverability and performance for clearing snowfalls of 6 inches or less.
So in 2010, nature’s occasional big dump presents a welcome challenge to a group of unsung community heroes. Neighborhoods are more diverse. Not every household is equipped or physically capable to handle a big snow. Snow Captains know who needs their help, which ranges from an entire driveway clearing to just the end where the plows have made new, steep banks or only the area in front of the mailbox.
Why do Snow Captains do what they do? I polled my Facebook community with this question as I knew some are Snow Captains or married to them. I learned that some may do it for the cash, case of beer or homemade cookies that generate an additional interaction during an isolated time of year. People recognize that a Snow Captain’s generosity of time and machine is a better use of $10 or $20 than a visit to a chiropractor.
Others asserted the theory of “Pay It Forward,” – a teachable moment of character education when helping out a person in need will create good karma, so that when you yourself need it most, someone will assist you. Snow Captains and their elves model this well.
Finally, a few offered that it’s “the right thing to do,” generating feelings of usefulness and fulfillment. With their leadership, Snow Captains reward our temporary yielding to Nature’s wrath by returning order to our chaotic paths. Their investment, maintenance and physical stamina (one FB friend cleared 11 driveways) is voluntary. Snow Captains are born in all parts of the world; one in our neighborhood is from Southeast Asia. Yet in Minnesota, all find a time and place to express their appreciation for community. With months to go in this year’s winter, it behooves us to celebrate the spirit of Snow Captains.
Good article