by Raymond Alexander Kukkee
Our last big storm, 2009
. Oh, my...let the whining begin.
It could be fairly argued that Canadians, in fact a great number of North Americans, have become softer in the last few decades, perhaps even becoming
winter wimps and worse.
"
Where are the real Canadians?" blogger
Conny Manero asks in her blog "
Under the Toronto Sun".
I have to agree with her.
Up here in Northwestern Ontario, 900 miles northwest of Conny, and in most rural areas, bad weather comes, 3' of snow or not,
we deal with it. Whiteout conditions, we deal with it. Square-tire -45ºC , frozen batteries, locks and butts, icy roads, snowbanks, road salt and all,
we deal with it.
We're Canadians. Tough. Used to winter.
Nemo or not. We walked to school in snow up to our chests. Our grandfather(s) invented snowplows so woosies could drive to Bay Street on February summer-bare roads instead of having to emulate real Canadians, those guys driving the old farm team belly-deep in snow 30 miles to deliver wagon-loads of food to cities.
That figures. We always make it easier for whiners to do less, live softer, cushier lives, and complain
more.
Connie loves the snow, which is an anomaly, her being from South Africa of course.
South Africa the warm. She is an exception; she doesn't mind walking in snow up to
Timmins Regina, yes, walking in the icy cold stuff, slippery, with the inevitable slipping, sliding, falling down, frozen fingers, or even a frozen forehead. How about some nice,
blowing slow that stings exposed skin. Snow in her boots?
Conny revels in it. She says bring it on,
she loves snow.
She loves winter.
Regardless, always being alert and aware,
Connie has observed a dearth of real Canadians; it seems now in Toronto she is totally surrounded by
all-season, 'snow-tireless' -
useless slippery-slidey-fall-down-and-cry
-call-in-the-army Torontonians that still want to drive 110km/r on Hwy 401,
foolish and worse, "smartly or not", let us politely say, on their liver-slick summer tires all the way to slip-slidey Timmy's instantly-plowed parking-lot for a
latte, cappuccino, and a fancy glazed doughnut.
Connie, of course, is referring to the whining, woosie, faint-at-heart imports and deteriorated, soft third-generation compulsive
live-in-the-mall-crawlers, who wear toques when it gets below 22ºC.
And whine. And fall down and get cold too.
And complain.
Snowflakes are falling! The din, the
din! " What a mess we're in" is the chorus.
Oh, please. Let me pull the Canadian flaps down over my ears.
This is Canada. If you don't like snow, if you can't manage it, contemplate this as you sip that C
appuccino el Grande....
drink some real black coffee instead,
get snow tires, buck up, get out of the shopping malls, and give it the old Canadian try. Play some hockey while you're at it.
Wimps and worse
Failing that, off to Texas or Mexico you go, where orange trees grow, and there IS no snow. How about that for wonderful, poetic logic? If nothing else, it would save us the incessant cacophony of whining as our shovels bite through that packed, wonderful stuff we Canadians call
snow.
Our Canadian Inuit might have a gazillion words for snow, "S-N-O-W" as we call it, --and we love it!
We're real Canadians, and yes, we do exist. Really!
Thanks Conny! Be safe and enjoy the snowstorm while it lasts!
Is that Incoming I hear?
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I can tell you where they are; In the country. Don’t know why it is but most–no, not all– of the whiners and wimps are in the big cities and the tough folks that just take things as they happen are not. Of course, that’s just what I have observed.
Glory, your observations are right on. People living in rural areas are generally more independent and for the better part,
largely handle whatever comes along. I wonder if that’s on the decline too, as society is working hard at softening, wimpifying everything and everyone?
My mother and I had this discussion last night. We are hearing all of the OMG “We have …weather,” from New England…who is still picking up the pieces from a (wait for it) category one storm. Ugh. Ppl in NY thought I was nuts because they are all bundled up like Nanook and I would be wearing a summer blazer and no sleeves. Last I checked, it was warm indoors where most of those punks do all their whining.
Now Red, THAT is funny. A Category One..haha… The whiners are in the basement on their X-box games, wearing hoodies and little man-bunny slippers instead of getting out there and living. Living includes a grain of bravery, eating some weather, some common sense and handling whatever Mother Nature hands us –thereby getting stuff done regardless.
You made me smile, woosie-whining Nanookies bundled up everywhere and you’re wearing a blazer…TOO funny! Thx Red!
Do you think they ever think to get out and shovel the snow off the basement window?
No, they look out and complain, they’re happier being closed in like clams. Gives them something to complain about “:)
so Raymond, you have warmed up my Sunday with Nanouk humor and whimpy tales..i like my wool coats and mufflers, i love my warm hats and hope for one of those with side tails like a Lapp or Norwegian knit wool model, they cover the fragile me and keep the biting winds off my neck and ears..
i still get frozen forehead at times, everyone wants to rob me of the pleasure of walking on a lovely spring day, but no one ever stops to pick me up when the wind-chill dips way below zero
so? i like the weather and wear boots, but not short sleeves thank you..unless i am doing cartwheels and wheelbarrow dancing..from a part sun/ part grouchy sky sort of day i bid you all lots of snow and a strong constitution..ns
Hi Nadine, I’m glad your Sunday warmed up, I also appreciate my warm fur hat and heavy jackets in biting winds, but I appreciate the cold, at least to a reasonable temperature. Today we have magnificent frost needles on everything, a photographer’s dream, and it is milder. It is strange, everyone wants to offer a ride on a warmer day isn’t it? I return your bid of warmth in spite of any cold and blowing snow on this fine Sunday….R.
People will say they are so sick of winter.
I’m so sick of people whining about it. Like you Ray, I’d just like to tell them all to move someplace where it doesn’t snow. Like Cuba maybe.
haha, Mike, that would be a good start. It seems to be the thing to do, whine about the weather. Go to Cuba, the Turks and Caicos, Barbados. Stay and play in the snow. Try ice fishing.
Then, they would gritch about the mosquitoes.
That does sound about right, whiners always find something new to complain about. That is their raison d’etre, right?
Okay so here on the west coast we are not generally very big fans of the snow. People freak out if there is only one day of snow! Why? They don’t know how to drive in it because we get it so rarely. Lol. I’m glad you are a hearty Canadian, Raymond 🙂
ah, Christyb, the residents of BC in your area are spoiled aren’t they? Snow one day or two days a year. Peach trees. I could be just as hearty with a few peach trees and a little less snow..haha!
All I know is we’re down here in the desert southwest where it’s supposed to be warm. Winter, yes, but ice? Facing another cold spell, and I’m ready for our real weather to hang around and stay a while, I’m afraid. Not big on freezing temps at all…still, it is nice to feel that bit of nip on your cheeks, but only for a few minutes at a time…
It is the bite that counts, M.J….for how long is always the question. You can walk about in shirtsleeves at -40 for a couple of minutes…haha!