Why Does It Excite Me Still

Growing up in Southeastern Massachusetts, we as kids didn’t get the snow that the kids up here in the north are use to. Even so, we still had school cancellations from snow, and we were always excited when it happened. I still remember listening to the local radio station to see if the snow brought with it a school cancellation. Those magical words “there is no school in all schools” brought anticipation of a day of sledding, skating and other winter wonderland activities. It brought joy to every kid in the area.

When my children were growing up, the excitement continued. On a snowy morning, we would tune into Channel 6, and wait for their school to be listed as cancelled. As SAU 9 flashed “Closed” across the screen, hoots and hollers would fill the air. They would start planning their day of winter wonderland activities, just as I had years before. During one such snow day, we went out into the yard, and built a 7 foot tall snow man. This was not your average snow man. The eyes were cut out from an old Halloween mask, as was the hair. We draped it with a cape, and in the end it was very menacing looking. The neighbors dog would bark at it everyday. It was quite a site.

Today, even though the kids are grown, and snow days don’t have the same meaning as they once did, they are still exciting. They still hold that anticipation of playing in the snow, even if it is just making a snow angel in the middle of the road. Maybe it is memories of my youth, or ghosts of cancellations past, but hearing “no school today” still brings an air of excitement into an otherwise quiet day.