Home of the hearty...and the hopeful

The other night as I was watching Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War, I found it quite interesting when the narrator commented that people living in the North at the time, because of having to deal with harsh winter weather, were perhaps more determined and innovative than Southerners when it came to figuring out how to make a living without owning slaves. I'd never considered the way climate might affect the mentatility of a group of people, and this comment really made me think about how living in the North, or more specifically in Minnesota, is, well, not exactly for everyone. It certainly does take a certain mindset to not only exist but also to thrive in this tundra.

I have a coworker who moved up here three years ago from Texas, where she had lived her whole life. She told me that after making it through her first winter in Minnesota, she felt like a survivor. She was proud that she stuck it out and came out for the most part unscathed and much more educated.

The idea of being a survivor is appealing to me. It produces images in my mind of courage, perseverence, and downright determination, like the early pioneers who planted, harvested, canned, and pickled their food; chopped tree after tree of firewood; and then hunkered down to wait it out. But they didn't just stay inside and rot--they found ways to make the most of the weather. They tobogganed, snowshoed, ice skated, and curled up the fire while Pa played the fiddle (at least they did in Little House and the Prairie anyway). In my imagination, those pioneers never lost hope for spring, even though they probably wanted to chuck it all and head South around the middle of February.

And to me, that's what living in Minnesota comes down to: hope. Every year I unpack the warm coats, make sure the ice scraper is in the car, fire up the furnace, burrow under the down comforter, and try to make the most out of winter. And every year I hope for spring, and spring always comes. Without fail, the days get warmer, the snow gets slushy, the air gets fresh, the trees bud, and then aaaahhhhh, it's spring. I love it. Determination and a strong will are great assets, but hope is what keeps survivors going.