A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about some amazing people who came to snowblow my driveway and sidewalks. Since that time, we have seen at least three significant snow events, each depositing at least inches of the white stuff on the City of Mandan.
Being a relatively new home owner, I am still trying to get the hang of this snow removal game. You set the alarm a little bit earlier, get dressed into enough gear to climb Mount Everest and brave the cold to shovel yet another couple inches of snow off your sidewalks. Being a member of the Rheumatoid Arthritis club, I have to weight each swing of the shovel against how much torture I can wage on my joints before I can't hold a fork or tie my own shoes.
Last week, we got a terrific amount of snow overnight. I was on my way to suit up when my doorbell rang. At the door was a wonderful man that manages the apartments next door to my home. He had hired a bobcat to do snow removal, but had no where to pile the snow. He was asking permission to pile snow in my yard. He had also instructed the bobcat operator to remove my snow as well. The thought of another 30 minutes in my warm house brought tears to my eyes. He has no idea how close I came to kissing his feet! I gladly gave my blessing to pile the snow anywhere he wanted to, including my bathtub if necessary.
All of this brings me to my point -- I know, you were wondering if I actually had one! Yesterday a letter to the editor was printed in the local paper. The gentleman was one of those rare people who actually enjoys moving snow and has the equipment to do it effectively and quickly. He was called on the carpet by local law enforcement who had received a complaint from one of his neighbors regarding a small ridge of snow left in their cleared driveway. He had spent many winters clearing snow for his elderly neighbors, but was told to stop doing so.
Many people in my community are recipients of Random Acts of Kindness during the winter season. Snowblowing angels come to their rescue and save them hours of back breaking labor. To them I say "thank you"!
The response to this letter in the local paper has been enormous! While there are some that recommend he mind his own business, the overwhelming majority are supportive of his kindness to those unable to do their own snow removal. I hope that the complaining neighbor realizes that they have ruined it for those who truly needed this man's help. Who will dare to pick up a shovel to move some snow without wondering if they will be law enforcement soon? These officers are just doing their jobs, but I'm guessing they have better things to do than handle complaints of this nature.
Dare to care! Step up and help out those who can't help themselves. When you stand before the Lord at the end of this age, you will be able to say you were looking out for "the least of these." Happy shoveling!
1 comment:
I, too, was dismayed to read the letter to the editor by the frustrated "do-gooder." Somehow, I hope he finds a way to keep on helping the elderly with their snow removal. While we have had a pile of snow in December, it helped us that both Derek and Scott have been home to help with the snow removal chores. Not only do we take care of our driveway but two others besides. We have an eight-horsepower snowblower. When I first moved into the neighborhood over 20 years ago, I could tell that the eight-horsepower was minimum. We had an 80-year-old man that lived across the street. No kidding, he could blow snow all way across second street if we wanted to.
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