Tuesday, February 8, 2005

Finally!!!!

A man in Marshfield, Massachusetts has been wearing a mask and helping to remove the snow that is piled up around the Northeast.  He refuses to reveal who he is.  He turned down some hot chocolate.  He took some rolls that somebody baked for him, but returned the tin that they were presented in.  He turned down an appearance on the David Letterman Show.  My new hero.  See folks?  There are still helpful people out there like myself.  He doesn't even allow himself to get the recognition I get from my neighbors.  Take 30 minutes out of your day to help somebody do something.  So you miss you're favorite sit-com...use your VCR or TiVo.  So dinner is 30 minutes late, so what?  You're lunch hour?  Most can eat at their desks during working hours anyway.  That's all it takes.  Please join me, and the masked snow remover. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

And all the time
you were already
here.
and so
just being me
now i know that i
have been here before
without ever
leaving one word behind.
you sure have a way
of spreading all
truths
ever.
hannahthemaid..p.s.bravo!
Comment from hannahthemaid - 2/8/05 1:53 PM

Anonymous said...

When snow falls many people feel that it is up to the town they live in to clear it all away. Now that would be nice, but if the town is on a tight budget, then it just can't happen.

If you read the by-laws of many towns you will find that clearing the walkway in front of your property is your job. But most don't care. As a result everyone including school kids have you walk in the street in order to get from here to there.

I for one love to shovel snow, and if it wasn't for my back, would do so much more. When I lived in Brockton 30 years ago in the Chatham West Apts, I would shovel out my whole little group of buildings to the street sometimes. Passing 10 duplex units along the way. I just loved being in the crisp air and by myself.

Now home in Braintree, I do what my back allows me. I clear the walkway in front of our house and then walk over to the neighbors. We have a nice little group of 3 of us, and we dig and snow blow each others snow when we can.  I will be doing just that in the next hour or so, as we have 2" of new snow this morning.

Going out and helping a neighbor makes me feel good. I know the feeling of coming home after a long day and having to dig out a spot to park my car, before I can get into the house. I think Charlie Brown says it best, "URRRGH".

But I also know the feeling of coming home and finding my neighbor has already come by and cleared the snow for me.

Just one other comment.  Two years ago the town put a fire hydrant in front of the house. I make sure there is a clear patch open to the hydrant, not matter how deep the snow. It upsets me that so many people don't take the time to clear them in their neighborhood.  How how time would be wasted when a home needs help and the Fire Dept has to dig out the hydrant first, or try and locate it.