Snow: you cannot avoid it. If you want to eat, you have to walk through it. If you want to get to the classes that you paid big bucks for, you encounter it again. If you want to attend chapel so that you can stay on our lovely campus, the snow is unavoidable. Fortunately, as students here on campus, our encounters with the biting cold are rather short lived, consisting mainly of small walks from building to building. Others, like David Egdorf, have a more lasting relationship with the snow.
Egdorf and Iowa snow have been in a committed relationship for quite some time. Egdorf works for Hiemstra Lawn Care, a landscaping company in Orange City whose services also include snow removal. Removing snow is not exactly a walk in the park, especially when it involves getting up at 2 a.m., when the city workers begin working.
The abnormally large amount of snow flakes that have fallen lately has made his job even more taxing. During one of the large storms around Christmas, Egdorf worked 40 hours in three days, despite his part-time employee status. However, Egdorf does not see his job as a burden and divulges that he actually enjoys the work that he does.
For most people, shoveling snow is anything but a luxury. Egdorf sees it as a way to bless and help others. He enjoys it so much that when he is done with his official work and he sees someone struggling when shoveling their driveway, he stops to help them out.
While the long hours and difficult conditions may make this job less than ideal, there are some perks. While most of us have to endure the biting cold elements while shoveling, Egdorf enjoys a heated cab that protects him from the cruel frostbite that accompanies winter weather. It is also worth noting that Egdorf and his wife are currently taking some time off in the not-so-snowy Caribbean region.
Snow removal is a difficult job, but someone has to do it. We salute you, hard working men and women who sacrifice much needed sleep for the good of those around you.