Embracing the Absurd
A snow blizzard hit New Orleans this week..
For a full 24 hours the entire southeast of Louisiana transformed into a living, breathing snow globe. Majestic giant oaks flaunted layers of fresh snow, icicles dangled from palm trees, shotgun homes and creole cottages suddenly looked like they belonged to wintery Alpine villages in Switzerland.
Nearly a foot of snow blanketed New Orleans earlier this week, and for a few days, the city came to a standstill. Roads were shut down, businesses closed, and everyone was stuck in their neighborhoods, getting around on foot—or makeshift sleds.
It doesn’t get much more whimsical than a snow blizzard hitting New Orleans — something so rare, in fact, that the last time it happened was 130 years ago, back in 1895. Needless to say, the entire city was utterly stunned, mesmerized and in awe. People reveled with childlike wonder and spent the majority of the day bundled up however they could— using oven mitts for gloves or Mardi Gras beads as makeshift snow chains— as they flocked outside to build snowmen, toss snowballs, and make snow angels. I loved seeing so many confused, happy dogs that had never encountered snow blissfully running in circles. It was absolutely magical—the entire city blanketed in white—beautiful, serene, peaceful, but also oddly surreal. I kept getting this feeling like I had stepped into a ChatGPT prompt: “give me an illustration of New Orleans covered in snow” and suddenly, like a scene from a sci-fi movie, it was a reality.
In a way it felt like a sweet antidote to the tragedy that we were hit with on New Years Day. As if the universe heard us mourning, felt us grieving, and gifted us a new memory to start the year with. It’s incredible that we are only 3 weeks into the New Year and already we’ve had the lowest of lows and the highest of highs in this little town..
It took 3 days before things fully re-opened. We don’t have snow plows or salt trucks, our pipes can’t handle freezing temperatures and our homes aren’t properly insulated. So for two and a half days, until it all melted away, everyone just played in the snow, hung with friends, made soup and hot toddies, chatted with neighbors, and went sledding down the levee. It was perfect, and I hope it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence but maybe a once-per-year sort of winter treat.
Someone mentioned today that meteorologists are predicting another possible snowstorm in two weeks… right during Super Bowl weekend, which just so happens to be in New Orleans, which would quite possibly be the most absurd poetic justice imaginable. But we’d be ready for it—ready to embrace the absurdity. Because that’s how we cope, how we heal, and how we celebrate life around here.
I have a few cool concerts coming up next month:
Feb 1st with the fam at the George Wein Jazz & Heritage Center
Feb 11-13 Instigation Festival (New Orleans) at the Broadside
Feb 14th with my Brazilian project at Snug Harbor
Feb 15th Tra$h Magnolia (full band edition!) plays the Krewe du Vieux Ball
More info and tickets can be found at at www.sashamasakowski.com
Lots of love and stay warm out there..