Snow signals the end of times

Yesterday there was snow in my area, and we don't normally get much snow on a regular basis, so the commute was terrible in the morning as folks struggled to keep their cars from sliding off the highway or into each other. I myself was somewhat less prepared than I could have been, but I have decent tires and am not a bad driver, but upon reflection of today's commute, it's just a sign of the times that we are in.

Namely, that on the day when snow was falling, less people should have been trying to brave it, because neither their skills or vehicles were suitable to be out in such weather, and this phenomenon isn't restricted to a specific category of vehicle either.

There were pickups, jeeps, and other 4WD/AWD vehicles who were slipping around considerably more than they should have. It became easy to guess which vehicles had automatic transmissions, because the purpose of a torque converter is to act as a torque multiplier at low RPM, so they with even the smallest amount of depressing the accelerator generated wheelspin and sliding.

Folks were also trying to change lanes as if getting to work a minute or two faster made any difference, making steering and throttle inputs much too crude to make such a movement safely and carefully.

The contrast is that today, since we had no new snow, and the temperatures got above freezing yesterday afternoon, the roads were mostly clear. But the damage was done, and many folks in FWD commuter cars were still so frightened by the prior day's experience that they could barely get within 10 miles an hour of the posted speed limits, which means that even more traffic is in store for the area as folks who are driving too slow try to merge.

This phenomenon is an example of what I've lazily categorized under "volatility" in my conversations. It's not that there are accidents all the time per se, there were many of those, but that the odds of an accident happening are much higher than people realize. The variation in outcomes when things are left to fate is wild, with some folks getting by without a scratch, and others apparently not able to catch any breaks at all, and there doesn't appear to be any real difference between their circumstances other than one had "bad luck" and the other didn't.

The problem with this mentality is that luck is made in the same way that dental hygiene is sustained. No one act makes or breaks your future, but it is the aggregate of the smaller choices and habits you make over time that determine your "luck", and a lot of folks have presumed that because they've not run out of luck so far, that they may never at this rate.

What folks like that don't realize is that odds can shift without you being prepared. While I can't do much to avert the consequences of an asteroid strike on the planet, if I were to end up like Flint, without potable water for years, there are steps I can take to ensure that, should the circumstances go bad, I've not got "good luck" by random chance, but because I planned ahead.

The struggle with planning ahead is that means short-term sacrifices in fun and entertainment. Instead of an ultra-performance summer tire, for example, I chose an ultra-performance all-season tire, which sacrifices dry and wet weather traction at high speeds for the ability to retain traction in snow and ice. I also ordered a set of chains instead of putting money towards something fun or exciting, just so that when such a snow does fall again, I am even better prepared.

But that's a roll of the dice as well. I have increased my odds of success contingent on there being snow again.

This is the heart of the struggle with preparation, and given that most folks haven't even started to try and address it in their own lives, what we see is "volatility". Accidents which weren't necessary, damage and chaos which could have been avoided, all simply because people didn't want to make the necessary sacrifices now in order to facilitate a higher chance of success later. There is no growth, no maturing, no learning, only experiencing.

So what happens if the snow doesn't melt away in a day, or for a week? What happens if the tap water is contaminated? Your grocery store shelves are empty because the trucks that restock them aren't on the roads? Have you made a choice not to prepare for events that are probable?

OR do you just leave it up to chance, tempting fate to "do its worst", certain that you'll accept any outcome that is thrown your way?

Choose better now, because folks who have made such sacrifices won't have pity, remorse, or resources to share with folks who neglected the warning signs when times were good.