I Got Burned

No School! Cold Day!

I recently pulled into the local post office after a day of teaching. The temperature outside lingered around 30 below all day and with the dimly radiating sun gone from its short daily stint, I left the car on as I walked into the post office. Before moving up north, I remember hearing about a ghost scene in the interior during winter; cars running with no drivers. And now here I found myself contributing to the scene as I quickly checked our mail. Thinking that the in-and-out of the post office run would be quick, I opted out of putting my gloves back on- the walk was only 20 feet or less.

Life is very procedural here, with constant preparation. If I want to go outside, I have to put all my winter gear on, including my moon-walking boots. If we want to drive anywhere, we have to warm up the car and bring the plug-ins. If we want water we have to put our water jugs in the car and take them into town the next time we go. With this constant formula for existence in the interior I purposely opted out of wearing my gloves- maybe to rebel, maybe to resist against the procedures, or maybe out of pure stupidity.

The 20 foot walk was as cold as one may expect 38 below to be, which I saw was the current temperature. I put my hands in my warm, down jacket’s pockets. And as I have countless times before I reached my hand out and opened the door, but this time was different than any other previous time opening a door. My fingertips immediately stung and I pulled my hand off the door knob in pain as I walked inside. I shook off the brief shock-like pain and felt the tips of my fingers. They were smooth and red, and felt as if I had accidently put them on the top of a burning stove. In reality I had burned my fingertips, and in a way that I had never done before- by freezing them!

The cold creeps into every crevasse and hangs out in any metal here. And it is evidently not going anywhere for a solid four more months, so I need to start getting to know it better and improving our relationship. I am aware that in order for a healthy relationship with the cold I need to keep all extremities and skin under thick layered clothing- a lesson hard learned.