Shadow-dancer Phil reminds us to not quit in the middle

Does anyone else wish Punxsutawney Phil would just keep his opinions to himself? It seems a grave disservice on the part of the little rodent to only make a public appearance once a year to present an entirely smoke-and-mirrors projection of winter's length based on, what? His shadow? Well, I'll tell you something, Phil. I see my shadow much more often than once a year and I have yet to rely on it for a weather forecast.

I'm sure I'm not the only Dickinson County resident weary of the long stretch of bleak midwinter that lies ahead of us. Snow piles are stacked like urban glaciers along our city streets and the weather forecasters are starting to sound like sadists.

But the solution to the stretch of season that lies ahead of us is not pessimism and frustration. I feel that, as soon as we throw our hands up and admit we hate winter... we're in a bit of trouble.

There is no question in my mind that the highly-attended activities of the 30th Annual Winter Games were a gift to this area. Not only did they give our commercial district an off-season boost, they provided a venue for community celebration and flat-out fun spanning from the Expo Center's chili cook-off to the family gatherings at Horseshoe Bend. In the middle of it all was a makeshift city of ice houses, snowmobiles and nearly 200 crazy Midwesterners prepared to plunge into freezing cold water.

I think I was crossing the bridge on West Lake on a futon tied to a snowmobile when I realized this was a form of revelry we just can't have in July.

A few weeks ago, I had the great fortune of interviewing five individuals integral in getting the Games off the ground. In the early 80s they were just a group of active Chamber members looking for some winter fun and willing to experiment with how to have it.

Believe it or not, the Games were not always such a huge, traffic jam-inducing hit. The founders shared with me a few tales of years were the games were so poorly received they weren't quite sure they were ever going to continue.

Something very important stands out about those years. No one gave up. They didn't throw up their hands and quit in the middle.

They innovated, re-examined, found new volunteers, and stayed devoted to the idea that the Games were important. Thirty years later, there is no denying that they absolutely, 100 percent are.

Now, it's February, the Games are over, and, if Phil is right, we've got a little bit of winter still on our hands.

My hope is that we can use the moral of the Winter Games founders' success story to find the energy to not give up in the middle of our own life situations; be it a season of the year, a life obstacle, a difficult project at work or a conflict with someone we truly care about.

Trying to calculate the resolution of life's struggles by pure estimation is about as useful as relying on a Groundhog to determine wether or not we need to keep the snow shovels out.

Regardless, even if the end may not be in sight, I think it's important, when entrenched in "the middle," to always remember that the learning, the growth and the true test of our integrity are often all found in that very spot.

Patience and perserverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. - John Quincy Adams