It’s Groundhog Day, woodchuck-chuckers!
I hope I’m not caught in a time-loop, like poor Bill Murray in the iconic, 1993 movie about Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog and the weatherman). I trust I’m not spoiling the plot for you, because you’ve watched it at least a dozen times like my family has. Phil Connors the weatherman, caught in a time loop, is doomed to repeat Groundhog Day until he learns from his life and evolves into a better human being. The character gradually transforms, going through the classic steps of denial, anger, and depression over his circumstances; eventually becoming a caring servant of others because of his unusually-gained wisdom.
Here in Michigan on Groundhog Day, we’re thawing out after a week of deadly cold temperatures and school closing, brought to us and millions of others in the Midwestern U.S. by the “Polar Vortex” weather pattern. (Phil the weatherman could tell you all about how this happens. Canada is implicated.)
However, Phil the Groundhog predicted an early Spring today in Punxsutawney PA, and truly it does feel rather spring-like outside — a whopping 39′ after -15′ F a few days ago. No one is putting away their winter gear just yet, of course. We’ve experienced Michigan winters before and they aren’t over until, oh… April? The snow comes, and goes, and comes again. We repeat our routines of shoveling, salting, warming up the car for 10 minutes before getting in and driving to work or school. The usual.
The Groundhog Day effect — I mean the movie’s, not the weather predictions of a rodent — can be seen in plenty of other, non-fiction situations. Families, companies, political parties and churches repeat their patterns like winter snowfalls until someone finally learns to shift the focus and evolve. By moving to Arizona!
Just kidding, I’m not ready to do that quite yet. (Thanks, Dad, for a great visit since you did it 20 years ago!) Breaking patterns that bring frustration and misery just need some better awareness, more forgiveness, and a dose of bravery.
You don’t even have to be a selfish jerk like Phil Connors started out. Plenty of well-meaning folks try to repeat what worked in the past, perhaps try more than once, with diminishing returns and increasing anxiety. Phil had only himself to repeat history with, but he learned from the other characters, every round of Groundhog Day. “Just put your little hand in mine, there ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb…” Let a Transition Minister or counselor help you through yours. We’ve seen it before, too.