Snow and Dread
Henan Provence, China
November 2015
It is snowing today and that makes me cranky. I hate to be cold and now I am cold and the streets are slippery. I don't like to walk in the snow because i am afraid of falling and breaking my hips and becoming dependent on people. So when it snows, I like to stay inside and watch movies and drink coffee and read books and nap and catch up with people on Facebook and listen to podcasts and soak in my hot tub. But I can't do much of this in China. And to make matters worse, I have to venture out there later this afternoon and again at night to teach my classes. I have to walk on sidewalks that will not be shoveled. The steps are dangerous on any given day as they are steep and there are no railings and no night lighting. On a good day, I descend this steps with great intrepidation. So tonight will be worse as I will spend the afternoon in worry and I will approach the steps with too much fear and i will obsess about the descent at the conclusion of class. And I will sigh with great relief when I make it back to my apartment.
But as I write this, I think about the yam man and the other street vendors. Last Sunday, it rained all day and I dodged in and out of stores to keep dry. But the street vendors stayed in the rain and sold their goods. This day did not afford them a day of guilty pleasures. If they didn't work on this day, they didn't eat. So they must be out there today as well, in the cold and the wind and the snow. And I am in the comfort of my room, warm, drinking coffee, watching movies but not paying enough attention because I am too focused on my scary adventure that awaits me tonight.
