Snow Day

We are having our first real winter in about two years. This is the second or maybe third big snow storm of the season. My classes were canceled and I am sitting here in my PJs reading the newspaper and watching the snow fall. This is what I love about winter in New England - it causes us to pause.

I feel blessed that I have a job and life situation that allows me to enjoy these pauses. Wouldn't it be wonderful if most commercial and business activity ceased for the day? Wouldn't it be nice if Blockbuster and McDonald's closed up shop and gave their workers a day with pay to spend with their children or just hanging about the house. Some places should probably stay open, at least for a few hours. Supermarkets. Drug stores. But is there any reason for the Verizon Wireless store to be open? Who in their right mind is going to go out in this weather to start a new cell phone plan? Or perhaps the better question is, should anyone be inside a cell phone store or a mall on a day like today? If they are going to be outside, shouldn't they be having snow ball fights and making snowmen with the kids (their own or their neighbors), shoveling their walk or their neighbor's walk, and generally enjoying the day off.

I would even be open to the argument that even the T should stop running. It's not like anyone is flying out of Logan today. There are probably really good reasons for the T to continue running, but if not, why not let the drivers stay home like the rest of us privileged folks.

If there is a purpose to winter, beyond what physical science has told us, it is to make us stop. You can't think nor can you enjoy if you don't stop every once in a while.