Sisu

Sisu - A Finnish Character Trait

I really don't know if it is me that won't give up or this eternal winter that just keeps lingering.  Maybe both.  Again, I grabbed my trusty shovel and just cleared inches of snow off the three-car-wide driveway into piles feet high....well, at least a foot high!

Sisu is a Finnish word generally meaning determination, bravery, and resilience. However, the word is widely considered to lack a proper translation into any other language. Sisu is about taking action against the odds and displaying courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity.

It's my darned pride that keeps me going.  The guys from the city who clear the snow from the roads just smile and wave and for the life of me I can't stand it.  Do they pity me?  Ugh, I hope not. Are they laughing?  No problem. Whatever they do, I hope they're not looking at my backside while I work.  

There's a part of me that wants someone else to clear the driveway.  The women in my life are not clearing their driveways of all this snow.  There's a tiny spark of jealousy that burns inside that I really wish I could extinguish.  Why should I resent shoveling snow?  I actually enjoy it while I'm out there alone...as long as no one is watching, smiling, and waving.  

The thought hit me that no one in this neighborhood helps anyone else.  That's quite sad.  Not that I want any of these neighborhood fellas to look at me as some damsel in distress who needs help - I don't.  But if I was the one with a fancy snow blower, I'd be out clearing driveways for the sheer joy of helping someone else and making their day a little brighter in the land of Ohio winters.  Next year; I'll look for a snow blower in the spring and make plans for next year.  I contemplated taking my trusty shovel and helping someone clear their driveway; but who would it be?  Mike had shoveled his, Dave had his fancy snow blower out earlier, Jack had all his adult kids visiting, the other Mike (no, he mocked my organic dandelion yard at the associational meeting), the pastor wouldn't like that, Bill is in Florida with his snowbird wife, the others either have snow blowers or they pay $50 for a service to remove it....fifty dollars.

The crisp winter air helped clear my head and the workout was actually exhilarating as I sang this old tune:   

Tuff Enough