It’s Supposed to Snow in the Winter, Right?

By: Ebony L. McCline

For the last week, the talk around the country has been all about the weather. I don’t know about you, but it’s starting to drive me insane. The snow itself doesn’t bother me, but the talk about the snow does. It probably bothers me too much. In fact, anytime someone attempts to talk to me about “all the snow”  or the “below zero temps,” I respond with a dumb look that says, “Hello, it’s winter!” 

I’ve lived in Chicago for 25 years, yet it still amazes me how each winter, Chicagoans act like the cold and all that comes along with it is something brand new. Now, don’t get me wrong, the snowstorm that we endured last week was classic, for lack of a better word. In most places, there was at least 2 feet of snow that blanketed the streets, sidewalks, expressways and cars. Businesses closed down early on Tuesday, the city shut down on Wednesday and by Thursday, some schools and businesses were still closed. So, it had to be epic, right? 

Epic may be the appropriate adjective considering Lake Shore Drive and Chicago has been getting so much attention lately. To my surprise, the two were trending worldwide on Yahoo and on Twitter simultaneously. As promised, I’m sure this is one winter that will go down in history and finally I can add this to the list of things that I lived to see right after the first African-American President. Oh, yeah, he’s from Chicago, too. 

It usually takes quite a bit to surprise me, especially when it comes to something as uncontrollable as the weather. So, I tend to stay as far away from the “weather” conversations as possible. It seems like a waste of time to talk about something that is undoubtedly out of our control. However, what would surprise me is if Chicago got 2 feet of snow in July. Yes, that would definitely surprise me. Only then, I would attempt to engage in a “weather” conversation. So, until that happens, spare me the agony.