B r r r r r....Think you're cold?

Photo:  The Weather Channel  http://www.weather.com/news/photos-winter-storm-janus-pounds-northeast-mid-atlantic-20140121

Baby, it's cold out there! 

As I dashed to my car this morning...a 30 foot walk I couldn't complete fast enough not to just hate life...I thought about all the people who have a lot farther to walk or have no choice but to be out in this inhospitable weather. Let's take a minute to think about these:

Mail Carriers - They park the little truck, then walk several blocks delivering our very important sale flyers and charity solicitations. Then it's back in the truck for a block or two and repeat the process. Say what you will about the Postal Service, these folks deserve some respect.

Sanitation workers - How would you like riding on the back of a moving vehicle when the wind chill, standing still, is in the negative numbers?  They don't make much for the job they do, but our streets and our yards would be a mess if they didn't do it.

People with dogs - I know, they are kind of responsible for their own misery, but dog people can't imagine life without that pet.  If you're lucky enough to have a fenced back yard to turn your best buddy loose in, good for you...and good luck next spring when you decide to go out in the yard the first time! But a lot of dog owners live in apartments or condos and have no choice but to follow their dogs around until...the spirit moves them, if you will. Some of them may be re-thinking this whole "dog owner" thing, but precious few of them would give it up.

School bus drivers and crossing guards - Think your car takes a long time to warm up?  Try waiting for a huge, poorly insulated, metal box to warm up. Then, every half mile or less, you get to fling the doors open to all that cold air.  Not fun, I'm guessing. And the crossing guards, out there in that little wooden box (if they're lucky) waiting to make sure our children aren't mowed down by cold, grumpy drivers.  These two groups are seriously underappreciated!

Construction and utility workers - Building a house you just can't wait to get into? Well, thank the folks who work when it's freezing.  Better yet, remember that if they don't work they probably don't get paid!  So, if your project is a little behind, try remembering what you were doing when it was 15 degrees outside.

Homeless people and animals - There are shelters for homeless people, but not enough to house all of them. Some of them are afraid of shelters for reasons those of us with homes probably wouldn't understand.  My heart breaks for the dogs and cats who do not have a person who loves them. Where do you get a drink of water when everything is frozen?  How do you stay warm without shelter? What if you haven't eaten and are too weak to go foraging? Look around your neighborhood and show some love to those animals other people forgot.

These are just a few examples of those who have to brave the extreme cold. There are plenty of others....send us your "frozen heroes". I'll post them here.

Cathy Cooper
Valley Business FRONT