There is more snow expected tomorrow (Tuesday), so I thought I would give a perspective on snow days through my life.
the decades of my life
first decade:
I never really thought about snow days during this time- mostly because we were either in places that don't regularly have snow (Hawaii or South Carolina) or because we lived in places with lots of snow (Germany) or I was too young to care
Second decade:
at age 12, I became aware of snow days - those days when school is cancelled due to impending snow or already falling.fallen snow. We lived in a district that had no busing, everyone walk from kindergarten to seniors in high school. But I only remember 1 snow day from age 12-16, when there was so much freezing rain that the parents of the elementary school kids called to complain that the little kids had to walk to school, so we all got the next day off.
from 16-18, the last 2 years of high school, there was a possibility of snow days, but I don't remember getting one, even though we lived in a new school district and had to ride the school bus. This was also the point at which I really became aware of the impact snow has on drivers. Working my first part time job, I can remember walking in the snow and hoping that someone at work would be willing to drive me the 2.5 miles home or that my mom would come get me. Usually and blessedly, my mom came to pick me up from work.
My first year of college, at Kent State University,I experienced my first true snow day- classes cancelled for a day. And then the hardship of a snow day really hot home as the cafeterias were closed too - for the entire weekend. So all of us who lived on campus were left eating what food we had in our dorm rooms or ordering pizza from town. This was long before the tricked out dorm rooms with mini frigs, microwaves and toaster ovens. this was the day of maybe one person on the floor having a mini frig and there was a shared kitchen or every one had a hot pot to use. I think the Resident Assistant ordered pizza for our floor as there were only 4 of us from the floor left on campus. I remember eating in the lounge downstairs and not doing much more than calling my parents an complaining about cabin fever.
Third decade:
Snow days took on a different perspective this decade. They were to be dreaded. For most of this time, I had a job that required that I come into work no matter the weather conditions or I commuted to college and had a 45 minute drive.. I can remember praying to make it home alive after an ice storm that left 1/4 inch think ice on the roads and 8 inches of snow. I remember spinning out on the road (I survived mom, just remember that), I remember crying all the way home that no job was worth my life. I remember another manager at the mall being fined by the police on the way home from work, after she made it into work and then the mall closed. I remember being amazed that with all the school closed, the first calls I got every morning at work, were the calls from the kids asking if my store was open. I do remember thinking that parents needed to smacked for letting their kids go to the mall on a snow day.
when I was 30, I was hired by a pharmaceutical company and my perspective on snow days changed again
Fourth decade:
Snow days now meant that there was a possibility that work would be called off too. It did not often happen, but it happened a few times when I lived in Michigan. But the important change was actually that the company told us, our lives were not worth more than the jobs, so if we felt it was unsafe to drive into work, then we could take the day off. I think I used it one time when I could not get out of my neighborhood because the snow play had not come through and there was 14 inches of snow on my street (though my driveway was clear). I liked the philosophy of that company alot.
I moved home and took a new job and the new company never really wanted to people to stay home on snow days. But the city declared snow emergencies and we got to stay home once that I recall. I did not worry about driving in the snow so much while I worked for that job as I took the bus to work. So long as I could get to the bus stop, I could get to work.
The next job was on the other side of town and I had just had surgery on my foot. So there were times I called in that winter just because I was scared of walking on crutches in the snow from the parking lot to the building. I was a contractor, but I had really nice bosses at the company and they understood and knew I would make up the time once I got to the office.
I started working for my current company during this time, and it has been different. being home based for work means there is no such thing as a snow day. Although I have had lost of power days and lost of Internet days. The Internet has been stable since the first year I worked for the company and I really have not had power issues. But the policy is that people can work from home if they feel coming into the office is too dangerous.
Now:
All of those examples are pre Bug. Now with Bug, there is whole new layer and a new perspective. I am fine in the snow, don't mind driving in it, though I could do without the other drivers, but I worry about Bug and getting to Bug.
Before he started school, I always felt better going to pick him up from my sister's or keeping him home. That way I did not have to worry about the other drivers on the road. There were a few times I had to go get him in the snow and I did not like it one bit because I was so worried someone would hit us and Bug would be injured.
With him being in school now, I hate snow days. I worry about the bus he is one being hit, I worry about him being hurt, I worry that he could get stuck in snow on the bus for hours, I just worry about anything and everything I can worry about with regard to transporting him. But I also worry about what to do with him when he is home all day. I prefer he not watch TV all day, but I work, so he does watch TV all day. I worry that his being home will impact my ability to communicate in meetings (because he does like to come talk to me when he hears me on the phone during a meeting), I worry that he is getting into something while I am working- and he has started getting into things. last year he hid behind the couch and cut his shirt with his new scissors, as an example.
Tomorrow the weather reports are calling for 2-4 inches of snow, with most of it coming during the day. That means I could put Bug on the bus and he could get stuck at school longer in the afternoon, I could have to go out in the snow to get him, or he could get stuck on the bus in the snow. I am debating what to do. The only reason it is an issue is that we got about half an inch of snow on Friday and there were people stuck in traffic for 5 hours in what is normally a 20-30 minute commute for them. Schools are going to have make a judgement call in the morning just as the snow is starting about whether to hold classes or not tomorrow. I prefer they decide one way or the other. I know they hate getting the kids to school and then deciding to call off school - we share buses with lots of schools and there is no way to get all the kids in the districts home quickly unless they release the kids at the scheduled end of the day. Bug's school does encourage parents to make personal choices, so I can decide not to send him due to the weather. But then I risk keeping him home and the snow not coming. I don't think I like this part of being a parent of school age child.
I think I would like to go back to blissful ignorance with regard to snow- meaning it has no impact on me on way or the other. But that would mean I would have to be under 10 years old again and I am not ready to repeat that part of my life.
so that is my perspective on snow days- what is your perspective on weather related school cancellations in your area?
Love and hugs,
Deb
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