I love snow. I love the winter. I love shoveling.
There’s nothing better.
Sure, sure: Some people think I’m sick or delusional — and that’s OK.
But snow is great.
And, at a certain point, it’ll be nice when the sun returns, things warm up and I don’t need 18 layers to go outside.
But here we are, in the throes of it.
Snowpacalypse. Snowmageddon. White Death from Above.
The National Weather Service issued some alerts that are worth taking note of — “dangerous, multifaceted and potentially life-threatening.”
For me, it’s a ticker-tape parade with white confetti.
I have a shovel, I have salt. No problem.
I got a few supplies, just in case stores are unable to open for a couple of days.
Worst-case scenario, I have purchased some extra food unnecessarily and simply gave a little shot to the economy’s arm.
I’m ready.
Just as I’ve done throughout the winter, I will shovel my sidewalk and help my neighbors (as they have done for me).
No matter what I do, though, there is one man who has raised the bar for us all.
He has been going above and beyond all winter.
He is Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, N.J., and a prolific tweeter (twitter.com/corybooker).
Even — and especially — when Newark was being hammered by multiple snowstorms this winter.
When residents contacted him on Twitter, he was quick to offer a response — sometimes acknowledging his city’s shortcomings, other times defending what the city has done or asking for more information to assess a situation, sometimes disputing accusations lobbed his way. Other times still, he is promising to direct a snowplow to a particular section of town.
More important, though, he has been out in the trenches, shovel in hand, digging residents out anywhere he could.
It hasn’t been a photo-op with a shovel and then back inside. He has been serving his community in every way he could.
And that is refreshing. Well, it would be if I lived in Newark or we had a mayor or mayoral candidate of similar makeup here in Chicago.
The shoveling is much more than the physical act — he is setting an example for how he hopes the people in his city will conduct themselves.
He’s not just telling people to help their neighbors out, he’s showing them how it’s done.
If I were a candidate for mayor of Chicago (ahem), I would make sure I were outside Wednesday, shovel in hand, helping my neighbors out.
Sure, they can’t shovel every street, sidewalk and alley. But they can work with their neighbors to do as much as possible. Dig some cars out, clear sidewalks, check on neighbors — especially elderly neighbors.
Basically, just show you care about this city. These are easy things we all can do — that we all should do.
All the candidates talk a big game, but how they conduct themselves in this blizzard and its aftermath will send a clear message to voters about who has the capacity to lead with actions in addition to their words and who is just bloviating.
Ethan Grove is a Tribune copy editor.
