Snow and Metaphors

While watching the blizzard outside yesterday, I could not help thinking about the many things snow has come to mean. The blinding whiteness of the powdery blanket means something different to every person. Likewise, the emotions it can bring to each person vary with every individual.

When I look outside, I see a force that both unites and separates the people around me. It isolates me within my  house, or metaphorically, within my own mind. I can no longer connect with the people I normally see because the blizzard creates a blurring wall of snow that seems to go on forever. Being surrounded by the houses of my close friends and neighbors creates a sense of security, so being cut off reminds me of how alone I really am. Yet, at the same time, the snow unites us. Everyone affected by the storm looks outside and sees the same white wind whipping around. And when the storm is past, we all must help do the same strenuous labor to create a way out of our homes. The feeling of being united is even more prevalent when we all come together to help someone out that cannot make their way out on their own. This blizzard unites and divides us as it blows though our lives.

Snow also creates a sense of tranquility. When the snow is in a calmer state, simply falling from the sky, I feel something different from my daily life. A feeling of calmness and peace washes over me. The snow seems to be so accepting and calm, landing on everything and everyone with the same gentile touch. It covers everything in a blanket of white, making the world seem fragile and new. It makes it seem like the world is not as horrible as it is made out to be. I feel tranquil and at peace knowing that there is hope for this troubled world after all.