The "Wussification" of America

Oh, my God, it's going to snow. Got to get the bread and milk. Oh, my God! We'll be stuck for months. Whatever shall we do?

Those of us residing in the Northeast are fortunate to experience the beauty of the four seasons. We begin that cycle with Winter, the coldest of the four. With Winter being the coldest, it gives hope for the season of Spring as the transitional phase between Winter and Summer. During Winter, temperatures frequently drop below the freezing point of 32 degrees (F). When that happens, raindrops can no longer remain raindrops; they begin to crystalize into frozen form. That form is commonly referred to as snowflakes. And, as we all know from our life experience, in the Winter, it periodically snows. 

I have always loved snow. During my childhood, there was nothing better than a good, old fashioned heavy snow. I could make up to $300 in a Winter season shoveling snow and I could enjoy sledding down double-hill at Bayonne Park. Back in those days, I recall my Dad listening to the radio for weather broadcasts with meteorologist Gordon Barnes. There was no such thing as the Weather Channel. The amount of snow that would fall was largely guesswork. I never recall a single instance in which a governor in New York or New Jersey declared an emergency such that you should crawl under your bed because surely Armageddon was upon us. One year after I started working, the forecast called for a “major snowstorm” with a foot of snow or more. The snow would begin between 8:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M.  Prudential’s Director of Security made the decision the day before the "storm" to close because of the impending weather. The next morning, it was cloudy and it smelled like snow. Around 8:00 A.M., there were a few flurries and it appeared his call to close was correct. However, by Noon, the sun was shining brightly and the storm had moved harmlessly out to sea. This poor Director of Security caught hell over that one.

In 1983, there were two back to back blizzards in February. I was living in Morris Plains, NJ at the time and was riding the old, “Erie Lackawanna” wicker liners. During one of those storms, our train got stuck between South Orange and Maplewood. We spent the night on the train. There was a great sense of camaraderie. There were no such things as cell phones; so, there was a sense of serenity. Many had snacks which we shared. The conductor found enough booze for a bar car and in the morning, myself and a few others trudged through nearly knee deep snow into Maplewood and stopped in a shop which served breakfast. We explained our plight and the owner quickly made up 23 ham & egg sandwiches for FREE. NJ Transit eventually got a diesel train to haul us to our stations and WE SURVIVED. Work was open the next day, schools were open, life went on.

Today, we have the Weather Channel. I initially thought the Weather Channel was a good idea for weather geeks like me; but, soon came to realize if you only talk about the weather; then, your ratings will dip and you go out of business. But, if you sensationalize the weather, then you have a captive audience believing a foot of snow will surely mean the end of your life. The Weather Channel began to name Winter storms, this one Niko, and, as if high on helium, were telling people to stay off roads, carry flashlights, and make sure one had enough food to last you THREE days; yes, THREE days if you were to go outside. All this because we were going to get 8-12 inches of snow in New York City, 6-10 inches North and West of the City and 12-18 inches in Long Island and Connecticut. 

I haven’t studied the history of the Weather Channel; but, I wonder if there is some connection with the supermarkets and grocers of America to profit off the sale of milk, bread and other perishables when the mere mention of “snow” is made. I have always been perplexed if you are going to be marooned as the family was in the movie “The Shining”, why you would buy perishables; but, no matter. If you told me you were off to buy a case of Merlot to watch the snow fall as you sat next to a fire, I might actually give you a hug. You certainly have your priorities straight.

After having reached a record high temperature of 62 degrees in NYC yesterday, along comes Weather Channel named Winter Storm Niko which closed most school systems, including New York, closed countless municipal buildings, closed many businesses ensuring panic everywhere. The snow ended around Noon in Chatham. My gauge measured 13.1 inches, most likely because we had a thunderstorm at 6:15 A.M. where the amount of snow falling was simply a thing of beauty to witness. However, here in Chatham, all roads are blacktop, trains are running, people are out and about. Life goes on. Enjoy the bread and milk.  https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gotta+get+the+milk+and+bread