Opinion

Let it snow?

Like MikeIf I may offer a little unsolicited advice for some of our younger readers, especially in light of this past weekend’s blizzard, it’s this: Enjoy your snow days while you can.

Once you get a little bit older, they can be a real pain in the neck—and just about everywhere else.

There are few things more exciting for a child than the promise of a snow day. For a lot of us, winter weather, especially when coupled with a school closure, was just about the pinnacle of childhood. From the initial euphoria of waking up to a snow-covered landscape to bundling up and trudging outside to meet the day, it always seemed like the day was ours. Whether we decided to go sledding, play an epic game of tackle football in the unplowed streets, or simply pelt passing motorists with snowballs (Editor’s note: this is not a recommended snow day activity), the only rule was that we could go outside for the day, and had to be back by sundown.

This weekend, I didn’t play any football, I didn’t build an ice fortress, and I certainly didn’t wing any snowballs at those lucky enough to have four-wheel drive.

What I did do, however, was shovel. A lot.

Snow days used to be fun for Sports Editor Mike Smith. Now, they’re just filled with responsibilities, like shoveling one’s driveway. Photo/Mike Smith
Snow days used to be fun for Sports Editor Mike Smith. Now, they’re just filled with responsibilities, like shoveling one’s driveway. Photo/Mike Smith

I shoveled out my car in the morning. I shoveled my parents’ driveway. I headed down to Pelham to shovel my grandfather’s old house. Then I shoveled again after the snowplows barreled down the street and left a 2-foot high deposit of ice and slush right in the area I’d just cleared.

By the time I finally got home and settled in for the second half of the Broncos-Patriots game, I was toast. I think I caught maybe two possessions before I closed my eyes and didn’t open them until Cam Newton and the Panthers were putting the finishing touches on a blowout win over the Cardinals in the late game.

I don’t know if it’s because of the shoveling or the prolonged couch nap I took, but I came into work on Monday walking like an 89-year-old man.

But as miserable as I was this weekend, it was still heartening to see kids experiencing the snow the way I used to. Sure, I wish I had come across a roving band of helpful shovelers at some point in the day, but watching neighborhood youngsters stomping around in the streets with sleds in tow was a welcome respite from the drudgeries of snow removal.

I’d give just about anything to have a no-responsibilities snow day again.

But honestly, I’d settle for a snowblower.