The Snow Is What You Make of It

Mother Nature is at it again here in New England. Though She can be a dependable source of sunshine and sustenance in many parts of the world, She tends to be fickle in my neck of the woods. One moment she is warm, hospitable; the next She is cold and treacherous–out to get you if you even try to go out. It’s all part of the plan, really. She likes to keep us on our toes, never allowing anyone to be too comfortable with how things are, and I like that about Mother Nature, honestly. I welcome this aura of irregularity because inconsistent states (be they nature-based or otherwise) can be conducive to creativity and productivity: you have to deal with all the contending elements, make the best of what’s at your disposal, and hopefully something interesting comes out of it. And when this great, big storm finally hits the ground and piles up all the snow and logistical problems that come with it, we can plow and pack and shape that snow into salutatory snowmen, serene snow angels, and epic snow forts. We can sled and ski our way to freedom in a winter wonderland. And if you choose to stay inside, you can finally do all those things that you’ve been meaning to accomplish (read that book everyone’s talking about, watch a classic movie, do some writing, etc.). Once the snow is given by good ol’ Mother Nature, it’s ours for the taking. So go ahead and make good on this, just like these fine examples of snowman fecundity.

Hailing from snowy Colorado, Trey Parker and Matt Stone know that snowmen can bring solace in even the most hopeless places (to a point, that is) and this clip from the hilarious Cannibal! the Musical reminds us of this important fact. Even in the worst of times, we should all aspire to build a snowman because that act alone is a optimistic endeavor, one that ought to supersede any priorities like finding food, keeping warm, and staying sane.

Going outside and making snowmen can be a great way to reconnect with family members–even ones who have died. In Jack Frost, a boy gets the chance to hang out with his deceased father again, now in the efficient form of a snowman, and they do some pretty cool stuff together, like in this scene where they sled away from some pesky bullies towards victory and familial reconciliation. On their way there, it becomes apparent that, regardless of age and ice, they are indeed both the man.

Shockingly similar to Jack Frost, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining also offers the chilling account of one boy’s ability to properly navigate the labyrinth that is a strained, father-and-son relationship, by doing his best to make his own way in the world–so well, in fact, that the boy in turn leaves his father in the dust. And, once again, the child is the father of the snowman.

the 1982 classic animated short The Snowman raises a valid point in man-snowman relations: If you manage to build a snowman that comes alive, what’s stopping you from flying around with it? Answer: nothing. The overwhelming power of childhood imagination and high pre-pubescent singing enables flawless flight, away from the mistake-ridden existence that befalls every boy who has a potential for dropping his balls in life.

But whatever you do during this snowstorm, don’t be lazy like Jabba the Hutt. Instead, be active and keep the creative juices flowing by making something like this here Jabba the Hutt snowman, if you have it in you. Winter is a colorful time only when you are willing to step out and add your own natural coloring to the blank sheet of ice and snow around you. So go outside and make your mark on it, friends.