Well that was a shock! Snow, icy winds and a load of problems with traffic, travel and delays.
I must admit, for a change, I actually enjoyed the experience. On Thursday, the Bournemouth cold weather came later than the rest of the country so I made the most of the morning.
The gym, first thing, a quick trawl around a couple of garages looking for cars with my Son, followed by lunch with my Mum. All done before any snow fell.
Then ‘the beast from the east’ arrived as promised! Click here for a quick reminder
So we did what most people did, played in the snow. The sledge came out and we had some fun.
It wasn’t like that for everyone though. Traffic slowed down and the problems started to build up as the Country struggled to deal with the extreme change. Reports of people being stuck in cars for hours and multiple crashes causing serious issues, slowly got worse throughout the evening news reports.
I was so grateful to be at home by the fire.
It is interesting to see how people deal with these types of things. The whole emotional rollercoaster ride happens, and, it cycles around and around until something snaps, you just give up or you take control.
My mate Tony was stuck on the A31 for quite a few hours and then, at 1am, he managed to, safely, park his car, jog 3 miles to his Brother-in-Laws house and stay there the night. Not ideal, but it was better than sleeping in the car freezing and, on a positive note, he got to do some exercise!
Over the next couple of days, the snow had almost gone, the sun was shining and the roads were clear. How quickly things change, one minute it’s really uncomfortable and the next it’s a delight – that’s life and it’s good to remind ourselves and have these experiences, it gives us a contrast.
How do you know that life is good if you have never experienced bad? How can you appreciate having things if you haven’t experienced not having them? Money, food, energy, love, compassion, empathy, the list goes on…
I find myself taking things for granted at times, and it takes something to happen which makes me appreciate life, and everything I have, again.
I am not a big believer that people should suffer to appreciate, but I do think that having a few tough times can enrich the good times and help us to enjoy the experience, in the moment.
The ‘Beast from the East’ was uncomfortable – I really appreciate having the ability to turn the heating up and to be able to light the fire – some people did not have that luxury.
What do you love about your life?