Ughhh...the thing about snow and Minnesotans is we try to seem like it's nothing; we say "you just have to live here to understand", or my favorite "it's not that bad". These are lies told to foreigners (of Minnesota, that is) to lead them to believe that Minnesotans have some extra-thick layer of skin to keep them warm, or some kind of insiders' secret.
I'm here to tell you that is not true. We say things like this, and act as if there is some big Minnesota secret as to how to survive a winter here, when in reality that is in itself the big secret. The way Minnesotans survive is to pretend like it doesn't affect us:
-Getting up each day 15 minutes early for the combined efforts of warming up and wiping off the car, not to mention the traffic that ensues.
-You can't see the lanes on any given road or freeway, which throws off the North Dakotans and Iowans even more than the fact that people here usually go the speed limit, and not minimum.
-Or that one can really only dress for practicality during these tough months,
-Or that on some days it doesn't matter what direction you're walking, you're inevitably facing a headwind full of snow.
That is just the beginning of the list, and you probably thought of something you'd want to add to it.
Let's stop lying to ourselves and each other; we all know that deep down, when you're stuck somewhere outdoors for five minutes or more during a good Minnesota snow fall, it's miserable. And that's when you mutter to yourself, "I hate Minnesota", right before feeling like a traitor. Don't.
Now that the truth is out, we can live in harmony with immigrants from other states and countries. We can stop spreading the lie that it's not that bad, or that we enjoy it.
It's nice to look at, but not always enjoyable to be in, but that's just the opinion of someone born and raised.
