Just punch winter right back

North Idaho has taken a powder beating this winter. And officially, at least, winter has been with us less than three weeks.

What that means is we could have several more months of meteorological mayhem leading to frozen feet and aching backs.

A nice, long siesta in Scottsdale sounds sumptuous, but for the 97 percent of us who work for a living or couldn’t afford a first-class ticket to Snowbird Heaven anyway, surrender is not an option.

Pulling together is.

The road crews who have withstood Mother Nature’s icy fury and keep coming back for more deserve high praise. So maybe your cul de sac isn’t snow-free when you’re ready to head to the office at 7 a.m. And maybe most of the arterials are clogged longer than you think they’d be if you, by garsh, were in charge. In our view, the relentless storms have been more than sufficiently met by responsive, responsible road crews throughout the county. Well done, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Plow.

While they’re doing an admirable job that they’re paid for, more needs to be done. If you’re somebody who would rather do something than do nothing and complain, we’re talking to you.

What’s nicer than buying coffee for someone you don’t even know is helping somebody you should know: Your neighbor. Look around. Is there a home in your vicinity that you could help on the especially difficult days, like Monday morning? If you’ve got a good shovel and strong back — or better yet, a snowblower, praise Boreas — might you spare an extra 10 or 15 minutes to ensure your elderly neighbor can get out? Is there a fire hydrant you can dig out? Mailboxes you can clear access to? If your health doesn’t allow the physical exertion, how about volunteering to drive someone to the store or pick up something for them?

We all pay taxes and, rightly so, expect services commensurate to our investment. But the day we rely on government to replace kindness, neighborliness, community spirit and the like is the day we surrender membership among the good citizens of the world.

Let’s help each other.

That’s why we’re here, after all.