It’s been over two weeks since I’ve blogged….honestly because I had a bit of bloggers block. But as soon as I heard the major announcement tonight that has made so many people jump for joy, including myself–I just knew I had to write about it. This statement is one that causes great elation down here in the south….one that makes kids and adults alike giggle with excitement…..a statement that gives us hope, rejuvenation, and a sense of true happiness. The highly anticipated statement I speak of is….“Due to impending inclement weather, schools are closed tomorrow.”
For my friends who don’t live in Georgia….you just don’t know how giddy we are to hear this announcement….even though we KNOW that others around us are just making fun. It’s like when you’re a really bad dancer–and you know others are laughing at you, but you just don’t care…because you love to dance. But y’all, it MIGHT snow. That’s all that matters. There’s this stillness in the air….a stillness that brings hope that we just might see a snowflake. And for all teachers and students, that is just GREAT. By early morning, there will all kinds of statuses on Facebook, some of us claiming to have seen snow, others still looking for it. It’s kind of like sightings of Bigfoot. Some just swear they’ve seem him….others are doubtful. But the point is, we have the day off!!! Because there is a chance…just a chance of something falling from the sky, and it’s cold, and we have HOPE, people! HOPE. That not-knowing is the funny part–you know, the part that causes us to get made fun of here in the south. It might not snow one single flake…but hey–it’s been decided. And all my teacher friends are partying like it’s 1999.
I’m proud to say that, before the big announcement was made, I had ALREADY purchased my milk and bread. Not because I’m one of those people who freak out over running out of milk and bread….but just because it was on my list. WHY milk and bread?? Do people really go through so much milk and bread on a daily basis that they truly feel panic when the word snow is mentioned? What about the stuff to go ON the bread? You never hear anyone saying “I’ve gotta get some ham! It might snow and I ain’t got no ham!”
Now, don’t get me wrong….we HAVE had lots of snow here in the south…especially over the past few years. We had so much snow and cold weather a few years ago, we had to make up the missed time at school by extending our school day for 12 straight days. I’m pretty sure our local Kroger had increased sales of wine during those days….and I bet if you asked any pharmacist, they’d tell you that Zoloft prescriptions went up at least 15%. But we just don’t care….we don’t care how we might have to make up the missed time, if we get a snow day–it’s like winning the lottery. Who cares if I have to go a day longer in May….I get to sleep as long as I want tomorrow!
The thought of snow always brings up warm memories…for me, anyway. Back in my teen years, we always got a good “enough to make a snowman” snow every winter. It was just me and my Mom, and we would always have a snowman building contest….and I elected myself to be the judge. Somehow, I won the contest every year. I remember one of my favorites…..when I fashioned a bikini for my snowman, using leaves off the magnolia tree. I was so pleased with myself….certain I would win. And I did.
I especially loved those years when our nice, nice snow was conveniently covered with a sheet of ice. It’s like Mother Nature wanted to be extra certain that we had the best possible snow day ever. And I lived every kids dream as far as snow days went–I lived on a big hill. Mom and I would find anything and everything to sled on. We never had an actual sled, but we had better. We had greased up trash can lids, baking pans and Coca-Cola signs. We would sled until we were literally numb….unable to feel our bottoms from all the contact with the ice.
Our neighbors down the hill were a bit on the snooty side. They were very different people than us….having a maid come to their house once a week, never waving Hello…and I thought they were strange because I never saw a pet at their house. I also noticed that I never saw them outside, and I never heard them laughing. It was a scenario that brings to mind one of my favorite movie lines, from Because of Winn Dixie, when Opal says, “That’s just sad…sad like not having a dog.”
One particular snowy day, with that nice, nice coat of ice on top of the snow, Mom and I had sled for hours. We had laughed until we cried, and it was so cold that our tears would freeze on our face. Mom had just mentioned how her bottom and legs were numb, and we should probably go inside for a break. But being the convincing child that I was, I talked her in to one more trip down the big hill. I also saw that the neighbor lady was watching us out her window, and I just knew that she was jealous of all our fun. They hadn’t even been outside….not a footprint anywhere in their white, snowy yard.
So, after Mom agreed to one more trip down the big hill, I told her to go first, then I’d follow. She arranged herself on her make-shirt apparatus, and took off….laughing and squealing all the way down. She hit the leveled off area right at the driveway of the snooty neighbors–where the snooty woman still stood watching out her window–after rolling around and laughing a bit more, Mom stood up. Her pants were down around her ankles, and her underwear was hanging about six inches below her bottom.
I stood there speechless for a few seconds, as Mom looked up at me giving me a thumbs up, declaring what a good run she’d just had. I can still see the grin on her face as she started walking back up the hill. She had no clue. I burst into laughter so hard that my lungs were burning…a laugh that took my breath away….and to this day, I have never forgotten the look on our neighbors face as she stared at my Mom out her window. And I guarantee, if she’s still around today, that she’s never forgotten what she saw that day either.
So, whether we get enough snow tomorrow for me to declare a snowman building contest….or whether we don’t get a single flake–once again giving the rest of the country reason to make fun of the fact the we closed down, who cares! We got the day off. It’s almost 10 o’clock pm and I’m still up! We’ll have fun no matter what.
Snow Day: A day when God says, “Teachers, I still love you.”
“A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder.” ~Susan Orlean
Kickin' & Screamin' 