SwagBucks

Friday, December 19, 2008

Snow Days

My dad was in the Marines and I lived in a lot of places, but for the purpose of this story, I grew up in North Carolina. Anyone who has ever lived in the south knows that when the snow falls there, the towns roll up their sidewalks, hang their "closed" signs and brace themselves for the worst. In fact, much like hurricane preparation, there is a run on food and beverages of all sorts at the grocery stores when snow is even predicted.

It is no surprise that as a child I got incredibly excited about the possibility of snow for two reasons: 1. we never got it, so it was a special treat and not guaranteed to stick around for long and 2. there was a 95% chance we would have a snow day!

I have distinct memories of getting up for school, seeing some white stuff falling and waiting impatiently in front of the television to see my school's name scroll across the screen. Fingers crossed. Then, the glorious moment would come and boy oh boy would my sisters and I rejoice. I think it drove my mother nuts.

Here I sit looking at the snow outside. It has pretty much ruined my plans for today. When did I grow out of the joy and excitement of snow days? Welcome to the Midwest.

6 comments:

Amy said...

The only thing good about this snow day, is that I don't have to go out in it.

Mandie said...

I have a set of friends (they are twins) who were supposed to take their last exam for high school and graduate today. It has been rescheduled for January 5! Yikes. Unfortunately, they'll be in NYC when that date rolls around. Epic fail.

Unknown said...

I remember the days I lived in North Carolina. I too was a Marine brat, and initially I grew up in Massachusetts. For about 3 years, we lived in Charlotte, NC, and the first time there was a few inches of snow on the ground we were shocked that the schools called it a 'Snow Day.' Where was the snow? There was not even enough to go sledding on. In Mass, even if there was 2 feet, we would be walking to school (with the exception of ice storms that knock down trees like now).

Christy said...

We rarely get snow here in AL. If anything we usually ice - yuck!

Allyson Kellner said...

Growing up in TX, I totally resonate with this entry! I loved all the snow in the MidWest (from college on) until I had three small kids! Maybe when they're older I'll enjoy the snow again. . .

Anonymous said...

I worked for out local school system for 25 years. Every winter I would listen with the kids (Hazel being one of them) to the school announcements and rejoice with them when school was cancelled. Now I am retired but I still listen to the radio on snowy days and get the same happy feeling when school is cancelled.