Chalk it up to being a newbie, but I’m finding there are times when I’m at a loss to know if I should be outraged.
One of the things you forfeit when moving to a new province is history, all those learned experiences that shape your views on a variety of subject matter. It's this background that’s built up over time that allows you to immediately ascertain whether something is perfectly normal or has gone off the rails.
Was that a massive snowstorm? If you’ve spent decades around here, you’re quick with an answer to that one, but when you’ve only got a few other snowfalls from which to compare, you tend to struggle to quantify it. Can you believe the premier just said that? Lacking a sufficient frame of reference, you might be gob smacked by such sentiment, but hear it frequently enough and it becomes water off a duck’s back.
Having arrived in Alberta about two-and-a-half years ago, I’m slowly building a history that allows me to gauge whether something is amiss, but I’m finding there are many occasions where that depth of knowledge is still lacking. One such example is when it comes to the state of roads at this time of year.
Nearing the end of my third Alberta winter, having spent the first two just south of Edmonton, I’m becoming more aware of what the conditions are likely to be, but I’m still often at a loss to know whether what I’m experiencing is good, bad or completely normal.
Should I be incensed when I encounter snow-packed roads or simply accept them as a fact of life in an Alberta winter? If I skid to a stop or slide while making a turn, should I blame myself? The roads? Mayor and council? Mother Nature? I’m not sure the answers, but my limited experience in this province has already taught me a couple of things.
What I’ve seen road-wise in Okotoks thus far is pretty darn similar to what I experienced in the communities of Beaumont, Leduc and Devon: It can be a little dicey immediately after a snowfall, but it calms down soon enough. Seems like that’s generally the case in the neighbouring big cities too.
The other thing I’m learning is that I’m unlikely to find a consensus when it comes to the state of winter roads, so it’ll be up to me to decide my level of outrage. Some people I’ve talked to find the conditions atrocious while others just shrug and accept them. Given I have trouble getting bent about too many things, I’m thinking I’m going to fall into the latter group.
I guess it’s not a whole lot different than the public’s take on another contentious issue — deer. Some are welcoming of the wildlife while others find them an intrusion. The situation is essentially the same for everyone, it’s simply a matter of how you view it.
Speaking of deer, one of the young bucks who frequents Sheep River Park has a string of my tiny solar lights wrapped around his antlers. I think I should be outraged by what he did to my yard, but I can’t help but feel sorry for him.
