Snowed In

We've been snowed in for the past week and a half. When I first saw the upcoming weather report, I went and shopped for enough groceries to last a few days, because you're hardly ever snowed in for longer than that in Seattle. Even though there aren't nearly enough plows for a town this size, the temperature rarely stays below freezing for longer than a day or two, and there's hardly ever so much accumulation that it won't melt quickly.

This time was different. I haven't been able to get my car out of the messy side street where I live for a week and a half. I've made several excursions to the grocery store during that time, on foot or by bus. It's been an interesting exercize in slowing down, and realizing just how lucky I am most of the time. Even having a grocery store a mile away is a luxury.

More than anything, what's struck me this week is the different sense of time that comes with having to spend long periods on basic tasks. In a way I found it satisfying, especially in light of some of the reading I've been doing about food sovereignty and indigenous food systems.

It's a real stretch to compare walking to the supermarket on a snowy day with growing and processing your own staples. But they're at least similar in the sense that both activities involve a different mindset from the one we bring to working in exchange for wages or salaries, and trying to perform basic tasks as efficiently as possible. I'm thinking that kind of rhythm has a lot to do with what it means to eat well.