Recently, I wrote about the ‘Great Snow of 1717,’ a series of four storms in 10 days. When that event was over, Cotton Mather recounted stories of up to 5 feet of snow in Maine in what was an unprecedented snow event.

Fast forward almost exactly 300 years and we have seen something similar. What’s transpired meteorologically the past 20 days is simply amazing. After recording our snowiest week in in the record books earlier this month, Portland and surrounding areas have added to that total. As of this morning we have now seen around 50 inches of snow in about 20 days.

It’s not only the snow, but the cold too. Since the onslaught of snow began, the lack of warm air has kept much of the snow from melting. Ironically, it’s the prolonged cold which has allowed the snow to pile so high, but has also prevented a heavy wet snow which would have been devastating to the power grid.

There are so many ways to view all this snow. Meteorologcially it’s fascinating to see records being shattered. But the records only go back 130 years or so, a small amount of time when you widen the window of the past beyond what we’ve recorded. How do we know this type of event wasn’t occurring 500 years ago or some other time period? It’s historical to us, in our records, but where it fits in the big picture we really have no idea.

We try to form some meaning around it all, but in actuality it’s just a lot of snow. In around 8 weeks, much of this will be gone, left will be the large piles remaining in various parking lots or in the shade on the north side of your house.

Part of the reason Maine is so special is because we have a different way of life than the faced-paced craziness of more congested areas. Many Mainers survive building their own business and depend on small numbers of people for their livelihood. The snow can prevent the foot traffic needed for survival. There are of course those traditional jobs as well. Thousands of us go to these vocations feeling the pressure of performing for our co-workers, our boss or self-imposed ideas on taking our career to a higher level.

Now, the snow has added a new twist to much of it. Sure you can work from home, but then the meetings you have get cancelled or postponed. While the day off might seem relaxing for some, stress levels may have actually increased due to the lack of being able to get stuff done. Students miss school, teachers aren’t able to teach, a house that was being built down the road halted construction and the state’s largest city has become a parking nightmare.

In 1987 when the stock market crashed it looked like a really big deal and in many ways it was. But nearly 28 years later that dip has been smoothed by time and is barely noticeable on a chart of the Dow Jones Industrial over the past 100 years. At some point in the future, maybe next month, maybe next year, all that is being missed during this Great Snow of 2015 will be barely a memory. You’ll likely remember the snowbanks, the shoveling, the days off from school, but most of the other stuff just fades with time.

This isn’t to diminish the real affects and pain the snow is causing. Medical emergencies and other public safety issues are real and hurt real people. Loss of business can push a small store to close after days and days of lost revenue.

Twenty days ago, the ground was nearly bare and we didn’t have to worry so much about anything more than the usual rush hour slow downs. Today, because of the snow, the use of a car in the areas hardest hit by all the snow takes on a whole new meaning. At least for the next few weeks, the added time to go somewhere must now be factored in to our lives. Trillions upon trillions of tiny crystals have brought gridlock to parts of Portland where now one car can barely get by.

The Great Snow of 2015 isn’t over. There is the potential for more significant snow Sunday, but it looks like most of the heaviest will be south of Maine. I’ll update here and on Twitter @growingwisdom as I get new information.

As the streets continue to narrow and our tolerance and patience for the transformed world we live grows short, think about the collective experience all of us are sharing. No one is immune from these storms; all of us have our own way of existing during this historical period of weather. You might not be fazed by the winter onslaught, perhaps you even enjoy it. Maybe you would do anything to be anywhere else, but no matter what your feelings about it, we’re all living it. Everyone has a story about the snow or what the snow is doing. Ice dams might force water to be coming down the walls of your living room, or the snow banks are so high you take your life into your hands every time you pull out of your driveway. Maybe you’ve shoveled paths or even tunnels for your dog or child so much your aching back is making it hard to walk correctly. Perhaps you’ve been feeling like you’re solely responsible for keeping the birds alive through all these storms. Or possibly, you’ve made more money than you could ever have hoped for in a single winter season plowing. Ski areas in the Rockies are jealous of OUR powder conditions this year.

Whatever your personal take on this, everyone is connected, because most of us can’t escape the weather. We often use the term “hardy” as a way for New Englanders to describe ourselves. We are agile and nimble, smart and innovative, we will keep on shoveling and pushing through, that is what we do. When summer arrives, we’ll still talk about it, brag about it, show pictures of it and recount how collectively, how we shoveled, pushed, climbed, and moved all that snow making it through the Great Snow of 2015.