{"id":2860,"date":"2014-02-06T06:20:49","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T11:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=2860"},"modified":"2014-02-06T06:20:49","modified_gmt":"2014-02-06T11:20:49","slug":"blame-it-on-the-boogie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=2860","title":{"rendered":"blame it on the boogie"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Snowy-mirror.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Perhaps you noticed.\u00a0 Last week, in the lead up to the Super Bowl shuffle and Seattle and television\u2019s biggest stage, an unusual event occurred; it snowed in the South.\u00a0 From New Orleans to Texas to the top tips of Florida, the flaky white stuff fell from the sky.<\/p>\n

And then there was Atlanta.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As editorialized by PoliticoMagazine:<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Tuesday, snowfall of just over 2 inches shut down metropolitan Atlanta\u2019s roads, schools, churches, government offices and businesses. Thousands of flights were cancelled at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. More than 2,000 school children were separated from their parents, and spent the night in buses, police stations, or classrooms. It seemed that the only places open were Waffle House and Home Depot, the former serving hash browns and coffee and the latter opening up its stores as makeshift shelters. People who didn\u2019t camp out in supermarket aisles and hotel lobbies were trapped in cars for 10, 16, 20 hours as they tried to make commutes that normally take just 30 minutes.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now let me begin by acknowledging how frustrated, annoyed, and even infuriated many could legitimately be if they couldn\u2019t get to their kids.\u00a0 Let me also add that the situation worsened:\u00a0 a baby was delivered by her father in a car on the interstate; many elderly were without medication; and 13 deaths were considered a result of the storm.\u00a0 All this from 2.6\u201d of the flaky white stuff.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let me add, too, that not everyone did everything well.\u00a0 In an area where snow rarely falls, unusual, subjective decisions had to be made in what to open, what to close, when to send home, and how to tackle the slippery streets.\u00a0 Any time subjective decisions are made \u2014 precisely because the decisions are subjective \u2014 <\/i>there will be error.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What happened next, however, struck me as somewhat profound.\u00a0 Parents and pundits rushed to their publicized platforms and pens to share their frustration, annoyance, and infuriation.\u00a0 Friends, I have no problem with the expression of passionate emotion as long as it\u2019s respectful to others.\u00a0 I also have no problem with the expression of passionate emotion that questions whether everyone did everything well \u2014 again, as long as it\u2019s respectful.\u00a0 But what happened in those publicized platforms seemed an evolution of emotion that was striking.\u00a0 Because people were passionate, they were seduced into doing what passionate, emotional people often do; they began to blame.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who did they blame?\u00a0 Logically, they would find fault in the subjective decision-making of municipal authorities.\u00a0 Remember:\u00a0 any time subjective decisions are made, there will be error.\u00a0 But the blame continued.\u00a0 The emotion continued.\u00a0 I then heard blame boldly cast on suburban sprawl, racism, the Governor, and an actual government conspiracy.\u00a0 Really.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Years ago Harold Kushner wrote a book entitled, When Bad Things Happen to Good People.<\/i>\u00a0 The thought-provoking, contemplative work wrestles with how to respond to the \u201cwhy them\u2019s\u201d and \u201cwhy me\u2019s\u201d in life.\u00a0 How do we deal with difficult circumstances?\u00a0 After all, bad stuff happens.\u00a0 Frustrating, annoying, infuriating stuff happens.\u00a0 How we deal with it matters.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It would seem to me a wiser response to acknowledge the circumstances, changing what can, accepting what we can\u2019t, and having the wisdom to know the difference.\u00a0 Casting blame wherever possible is not healthy nor wise.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Intramuralist so desires us to be a less finger-pointing, blame-oriented society.\u00a0 I wish we could accept both the good and the bad instead of using our legitimate emotion to cast blame on other people.\u00a0 I desire us to be wise.\u00a0 P.S.\u00a0 It\u2019s snowing outside my house today.\u00a0 I think I\u2019ll enjoy it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Respectfully,<\/p>\n

AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Perhaps you noticed.\u00a0 Last week, in the lead up to the Super Bowl shuffle and Seattle and television\u2019s biggest stage, an unusual event occurred; it snowed in the South.\u00a0 From New Orleans to Texas to the top tips of Florida, the flaky white stuff fell from the sky. And then there was Atlanta.   As … <\/p>\n

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