Our View: The Great Snow is full of heartwarming stories

On the South Hill, there’s a deputy sheriff packing a fierce snowblower who has kept the sidewalks and street of his neighborhood passable. He doesn’t ask; he just plows, creating corridors of snow between the street berms and the yards. Then it’s up and down the driveways to clear paths for the cars. Then he takes on the street itself. If he’s this dogged about chasing criminals, they don’t stand a chance.

Thanks, Brandon.

Truth is, there are many people around town who have risen to the challenge posed by this onslaught of snow. More than 60 inches in two weeks. That’s crazy, and it’s dangerous.

It’s easy to slip and break bones. It’s easy to slide off the road. It’s easy to get hopelessly stuck in your car or shut in your home.

But the weather has brought out the community in our community. This newspaper’s Web site, spokesman.com, has been collecting “storm stories” and they paint a portrait of a region pulling together.

One North Side gentleman has been secretly shoveling sidewalks and driveways. His reward is witnessing the reactions. “Chef Gus” awakes at 4:30 a.m. to trudge down the South Hill to make meals for the homeless at Shalom/Central Methodist Church. Neighbors are grocery shopping for one another or sharing food. Berms are knocked down and removed, freeing the elderly and the infirm from their homes. Helpers seemingly materialize out of nowhere to help stranded motorists. Pets are rescued from the deep drifts and perilous cold.

When firefighters arrived at the big Empire Cold Storage blaze, they were aided by people who dug out the hydrants.

The snowstorms have buried the fast lane, slowing the pace of life. In times like these, the geography seems to shrink and neighborhood pride expands. We venture out when we need to, but we try not to go too far.

The good news is the extraordinary number of people who have responded by reaching out to friends and strangers. Perhaps it’s a glimpse into what life would be like if we weren’t always in such a hurry. Perhaps it’s an example of how to cope in a lengthy recession.

No doubt, when the weather breaks and the snow clears, people will return to their routines, but hopefully when they think back to the Great Snow of 2008, they’ll also cherish warm memories of people at their best.