Across the country today temperatures are falling. At the time of writing, it is 9° in Minot ND, and it is anticipated to drop to -21° tonight. There is snow over a good portion of the Midwest. If tomorrow weren’t Saturday, there are a number of children who would stay home anyway. After the first of the year, snow days will be a regular thing across the country. Occasionally there is a terrible winter, causing students to miss so much school that they have to cut Easter Vacation short or add days to the end of the year (giving the climate change deniers reasons to rejoice), but most years there are a limited number of days when the world stops in an enforced time out for young (and sometime older).
And what do we have here in Southern California? 73° and partially cloudy.
Now almost any back-Easter would gladly trade the endless snow for the constant sun, particularly as winter wears on, but in this perfection, there are things lost, namely snow days. In a thirty-five year career in education, I have only once had school cancelled due to poor weather during a flooding winter nearly thirty-three years ago. Yes, there used to be half-days due to heat, but after air conditioning was installed in all schools, these days went away. Children in California never experience the anticipation, the excitement, and the forced slowdown of a snow day. In California we never have to stop, which is a blessing and a curse because I’m certain, as much as everyone but kids probably “hate” these days, I’m sure that there is part of everyone that loves that moment when the world says no, when the world says stop, when the world says be. It’s a gift that (short of a natural disaster) So Cal children never receive, and never truly understand.
As always, I welcome your comments.
