The wind howls through the coastal town of Brookings, Oregon. Freezing rain lashes against the glowing purple bell sign of the local fast-food joint. Inside, the fryers hiss. Outside, two fifteen-foot-tall inflatable snowmen stand guard in the parking lot. They are meant to spread holiday cheer, but the winter storm has other plans.
Manager Elena stands by the drive-thru window, wiping condensation off the glass. She frowns as a massive gust of wind slams into the restaurant. "Marcus, look at the decorations. They don't look very jolly."
Marcus, a teenage employee sweeping the floor, walks over and peers out. "Whoa. They look like they're sizing each other up."
The wind intensifies. The snowman on the left, wearing a crooked top hat, suddenly drops low. The nylon fabric groans under the air pressure. A violent gust pushes it forward, sending its massive, rounded torso crashing straight into the snowman on the right, who wears a bright red scarf.
Thwack.
The scarf-wearing snowman recoils, bends backward at an impossible angle, and then snaps right back up. Driven by the swirling wind currents, it retaliates with a slow, heavy tilt that clocks the top-hat snowman right in the carrot nose.
"Are they... fighting?" Marcus asks, his eyes wide.
"It looks like an MMA match," Elena says, bursting into laughter. "Look at the technique!"
Outside, the storm creates a perfect vortex in the asphalt lot. The two air-filled titans are locked in a relentless, slow-motion brawl. The top-hat snowman sways to the left, dodges an imaginary hook, and then flops forward with its entire body weight. It slams violently against its opponent. The fabric makes a loud, rhythmic slapping sound over the roar of the gale.
A silver sedan pulls up to the drive-thru lane but stops completely before the intercom speaker. The driver, a local named Todd, rolls down his window, ignoring the freezing rain. He stares at the violent, festive spectacle.
"Hey!" Todd shouts toward the service window, pulling out his smartphone. "Are you guys seeing this? Frosty is taking a dive!"
"Keep the camera rolling, Todd!" Marcus yells back, leaning halfway out the window. "Ten bucks on the guy in the scarf!"
The scarf-wearing snowman delivers a devastating, wind-assisted headbutt. The top-hat snowman buckles, its middle section folding completely in half as if it just took a brutal body shot. It hovers inches from the wet pavement for three agonizing seconds. Then, the internal air blower whirs aggressively, forcing it back up to its full, towering height. It rises like a cinematic boxer beating the referee's ten-count.
"He's not giving up!" Todd laughs, recording every single bend, flop, and slam. "This is the best thing to happen in Brookings all year."
For twenty minutes, the battle rages. The wind acts as the invisible puppet master, orchestrating a hilariously intense heavyweight bout. The snowmen grapple, collide, separate, and clash again. A few more drivers pull into the lot, completely forgetting about buying food. They park in a semi-circle, turning on their headlights to illuminate the makeshift boxing ring.
Finally, a massive blast of wind from the Pacific Ocean sweeps across the tarmac. It delivers a dual knockout blow. Both snowmen bend completely flat in opposite directions, hitting the asphalt simultaneously with loud thuds, before the wind releases them to bob harmlessly back into the air. The crowd of cars honks their horns in approval. Todd hits stop on his recording, waves to Elena, and drives off to upload the footage.
By the next morning, the storm clears, leaving behind crisp, blue skies. Elena arrives for her morning shift and opens her phone. Her jaw drops. Todd’s video is everywhere. It has millions of views. National news anchors are laughing at the "Festive Parking Lot Brawl."
Marcus walks in, grinning from ear to ear. "We are famous, Elena. People are driving from two towns over just to see the wrestling snowmen."
Elena looks out at the parking lot. The two snowmen stand perfectly upright in the calm morning air, smiling peacefully side by side as if nothing ever happened.
The Moral of the Story:
External forces will often push us into conflict and make us clash with those around us. However, like the snowmen, we must remember that the storm eventually passes, and we can choose to stand peacefully together once the air clears.
External forces will often push us into conflict and make us clash with those around us. However, like the snowmen, we must remember that the storm eventually passes, and we can choose to stand peacefully together once the air clears.
Based on a true story.
