How can some little flakes create such havoc

02/07/13
Shhhhsh, don't look now (how do you whisper in a blog?) it's about to start snowing.
Yes people of the good ole USA, we in the Northeast are about to get walloped. Run, run fast. Clean out those supermarkets, get your 42 cases of water, your 25 gallons of milk, and whatever is left in the Hostess aisle. It's about to get KER-ayyyyyyzy.
What in the world is going on? I have lived here a long time, my whole life as a matter of fact (and if you ask a certain friends 6 year old daughter I am OLD!!) and I have seen some snow, in fact my memory seems to recall every winter up until the 80's at least where we'd have snow piled up from December until April. We'd have hills, ne' MOUNTAINS, of the stuff to sleigh ride on, tube down, and make snow angels in. In fact, Huntington NY even had a ski resort of sorts. I kid you not, we knew a thing or two about winter weather.
People, you live in the NORTHEAST, you had to kind of guess this could happen. Snow is nothing new. We wear our winters like a badge of courage. We proudly laugh at those southerners, "HA! We get change of seasons and cold wintry weather that WE can drive and survive in!" They reply "HA! We know, and so what, it's beautiful and sunny down here." to which we say "HA!..."just ha, because we know they are right and we lose.
But none-the-less, we prevail, because this wet, cold, pretty, slippery wonderland is not an anomaly, it is not a fluke, a ruse, or a complex mystery; it's just snow. When we were younger and a storm came along and knocked our power, we had little to worry about. This was pre-life affirming Internet folks. What were the consequences? Oh my, we might not be able to watch the three channels we got on our fuzzy imaged TVs?
The refrigerator would turn off? Guess what, it was 20 degrees out, you just put the perishables outside!!
As kids, it was the perfect excuse to go outside and be maniacs performing stunts that in today's age would light you-tube on fire! In fact on occasion (especially after a few Harvey wall bangers) even my parents would wander out to talk to the (gasp) neighbors and (double gasp) play with their kids. I vaguely remember hitting my dad in the back of the head with a snowball, then running for my life as if the devil was at my heels laughing all the way.
I guess what I am trying to say is, yes, nature can throw us some fastball sinkers (is that a pitch? I have no idea) but maybe we have just forgotten how to enjoy them a little. I'm not saying you shouldn't be careful, but if it's a weekend, and it's snowing like all get out, GET OUT, and do something with someone you love. Make it crazy and something a photograph will do no justice. Don't let the weather get you down, meet it head on and show it you can laugh in its face, but not too long because your kid may have perfect aim....