By: Maria Irshad, CAPP

Why are fireplaces considered amenities for homes in Texas? Particularly in Houston where we spend 85 percent of the year sweltering in humidity and the remaining time is dedicated to wearing our boots, coats, and gloves even if it’s just a barely chilly 70 degrees (OK, maybe that’s just me).

In Houston, when it rains, it pours. But when it snows, it just shuts everything down. Sleet or icy roads mean a no-school/workday. But when an arctic storm blasts temperatures to the teens, blowing out water pipes and knocking out the electric grid, we have a shutdown that is unimaginable—this from the city that survived an epic 500-year flood in Hurricane Harvey.

Houston is hot so I always assumed the fireplace was a useless waste of space—until Mother Nature showed me otherwise. Previously I never gave it much consideration, but my fireplace became the key to surviving this winter’s round with Mother Nature.

How has disruption affected your organization?  What about our workplace—can we reframe our minds to obliterate past assumptions, thereby allowing a fresh look at our processes and systems?  This storm certainly reminded me how quickly things can change and how rapidly our perspective is affected.

For now, I’m grateful for my fireplace, indoor plumbing, and a working power grid, but I’m going to keep holding my grudge against Mother Nature.