The day after Thanksgiving, we cruised back to Erie from Maryland without so much as a traffic tie-up, only to drive our small SUV into a snow drift a block from home. Our other car, which my brother borrowed while we were away, also got stuck a block away in the opposite direction.
As we labored to shovel, push or rock our way out of disaster, I lost a boot in the snow and then hobbled home full of pity for my plight, because I couldn’t even stomp my feet in frustration. Later, though, as I learned about the throngs of good-hearted people who stepped up to help the snowbound, I realized that while the ferocious blizzard highlighted Erie’s weather at its worst, the storm also showed Erie at our best, as people and organizations scrambled to aid those in need.
Those who are homeless were fed and sheltered. A nonprofit raised money even though its fundraiser was canceled. Volunteers took in a record number of stranded travelers. New Americans weathered the storm…