During winter, it sometimes snows in Germany, even in the climate change-raddled 21st century. In the first weeks of January 2019, we are experiencing heavy snowfalls — a weather condition that results in a variety of effects, from the impossibility to bike to work, over flight cancellations, or accidents. to snowball fights and deep powder skiing. We’re experiencing the beauty of snow — and — that A snowflake never falls in the wrong place.
Weather is a phenomenon beyond the reach of human beings. It is broadly predictable but unforeseeable in its details: what exactly does a 40% rain probability mean? Will we be able to play tennis? Weather is a perfect topic to start within conversations since it unites people: lots of fresh snow forces house owners to clear it early in the morning and finding ways of not banking it up in their neighbor‘s driveways. While many adults feel stressed since heavy snowfall forces them to change plans, get late to work, etc., most kids enjoy throwing snowballs, go sledding, or simply savor snowflakes falling on their faces.
I personally love heavy snowfall: it forces people to change their plans, to think differently, to find alternatives: work from home, skip the ride to the mall, reschedule your meetings. From neuroscience, we know that changing routine behaviors from time to time has tremendously positive effects on the human brain that is able to rewire its neurons which are called neuroplasticity, and on our mental abilities in general. However, human beings don‘t like changing their behavior. We mostly do it when being forced to. That‘s where snowfalls come into play.
A snowflake never falls in the wrong place
One of my favorite Zen proverbs — A snowflake never falls in the wrong place — adds another dimension — time: it combines the symbolic snow and human subjectivity, and therewith leads us to question the value of the events of our past and the judgments we tend to make about them. By changing plans, we are forced to try new ways and see where they lead us to. In most cases, that could simply result in realizing that taking the subway is more efficient than using the car. Or, you experience that working from home is more efficient than being present at the office and you plan to ask your boss about the idea to agree upon one day of the home office.
Then, there are are other, more subtle, characteristics of snow. A closed snow cover has a great visual effect: it lights up the night sky, and even during an otherwise grey winter day, the snow‘s glimmer adds to a more positive atmosphere. Compare that to grey-black rain-soaked roads! Additionally, to the visual effect, there is an audio effect. If you live near a road with some traffic, you know — during winter — if there is a snow cover on the roads because you don‘t hear the cars, or at least they sound softened, or quilted. Since I am somewhat allergic to perpetual noise, I really appreciate the cushioning effect of snow here.
Let it snow!