blustery blizzards

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!! Ahhh, this has been a blustery week of blowing wind chills far below zero, and snow falling faster than you could possibly comprehend. The first morning the blizzard hit here in the Midwest, I woke up to text messages from friends announcing the cancellation of school! However much I respect the school system, also respect my snow days and this has been a week to remember. As we are now heading onto day 3 of no school, I find that I have more time than I could possibly imagine. I have time to go sledding even though the wind makes it an arctic adventure just to make it outside. I helped shovel and snow blow our driveway to find that by the time you finish and have reached the end of the drive the snow has practically covered it again and you know that in just a few short hours you will have to come back out and do it all over again. I made cookies with a friend, which were devoured faster than it took to make them. I even ate all three meals on these wonderful "free days". But I know that you do not want to hear about my ramblings about what I did on my snow days, so now I will get to the point- The blizzard, reaching dumping snow on 12 states, and touching 42 of the 50, has been a rare moment, forcing America to slow down and stay inside with family. It has been noted that the blizzard has caused 17 deaths, almost all of them related to car accidents, the results of NOT staying inside. Today on the worst day of the blizzard, my whole family was home. I went sledding with friends down the street, and in all I never strayed far from my house and got around entirely on foot. It was almost a dream-like state that I walked down the deserted streets taking my little brother the the closest sledding hill, noting the crisp white snow sparkling in the sun beginning to peek through snow laden clouds. And I realized, that this is how it used to be, in the "good ol' days." It felt old fashioned, but it was a blast. No one was out, it was simply quiet and serene, no one out or running around, simply peaceful, with plenty of time and no place to go. It actually reminded me of an essay I read for class the other day. It was by Oscar Wilde in his essay Impressions of America. He said:

"...everybody seems in a hurry to catch a train. This is not a state of things which is favourable to poetry or romance. Had Romeo or Juliet been in a constant state of anxiety about trains, or had their been agitated by the question of return-tickets, Shakespeare could not have given us those lovely balcony scenes which are so full of poetry and pathos."

And so I remembered as I was walking down the quiet, quaint street that he was right. America is always in a hurry, constantly trying to get somewhere. This was something that actually struck me as funny- this blizzard was like natures way of forcing us to slow down and stay with our family, and apparently those who didn't, were killed.

And so I leave you now, hopefully with quiet thoughts in your head, and warm hot chocolate in your stomach, thinking about the fast approaching holiday. Speaking of holidays, that reminds me, heres another happy thought for your head, next week is our last week until Christmas break, at least for me. This day just keeps getting better...