SNOW: It Brings Out The Flakes

[ServinGsus]

Have you ever had someone raise your hopes so high that your body is humming with anticipation? That's how I used to feel when I heard that snow was being forecast. To me, snow is magical. It's even cooler than fairy dust. Snow flakes arrive and bring joy, childish abandon, and possibilities. They gloss over the mundane and make the earth look pure. They dance on our cheeks and elude our tongues as we swirl outside in a Winter Wonderland. Snow is little pieces of heaven falling to earth.

However, I've lived in Dixie long enough to know that it's not really a weather forecaster that throws the word "snow" out there. Instead, it is a secret society comprised of sneaky grocers and owners of local mini marts. In Dixie snow is a marketing tool. The fastest way to deplete your community's supply of bread, milk, eggs, and common sense is to say "SNOW". It's something akin to the reaction Pavlov created among his pack of canine amigos, and rather sad. Dixie natives have been conditioned to stop all logical trains of thought, exit whatever building they are in, climb into their vehicles, drive with no regard for other travellers to the nearest food store, park haphazardly, and fight vehemently for food they may or may not need sometime in the next week. After this exhausting exercise, they will then wait in lines no shorter than twenty people long, anxiously discussing the blizzard that happened in their childhood (three inches can do so much damage!), and wondering what apocalyptic events are going to occur in the next day or two. They will then get back into their vehicle, drive just as insanely home, where they will commence huddling with their family and watching out the window for white stuff, also known as a Destructive Force of Nature in the south. When nothing actually happens (or fails to accumulate should it actually fall), there will be much discussion over the near brush with calamity, the silliness of those who overreacted and overstocked their pantry, and life will go back as close to normal as is possible in Dixie. All the while, the members of the secret society who first spread the word are gleefully looking at the piles of money they have made off of those foolishly conditioned members of society.

To catch more like this, check out YANKEE MOMMA's blog!

[jerzee11]

Mar. 1, 2009 at 12:12 AM

So true, So true! LOL That is exactly how it is here in the town I live in..Talking about loss of all common sense, it is like a pack of wild dog fighting over a carcass when it comes to one loaf of bread at the local store. What part of the south do you live in? it must be NC casuse its so true here.

[heathermichelle]

Mar. 1, 2009 at 1:56 AM

This is so true! My little small town in AL is so bad. we have a few grocery stores and a walmart. you go to them and all the bread is gone, you might luck up to get milk.
I was watching James Spann earlier and I am awaiting to see if we get snow. Probably not but I heard  it was snowing in T-town.

[ServinGsus]

Mar. 1, 2009 at 8:11 AM

We have SNOW!!!!  I woke up this morning to branches and cars and roofs covered in white.  The ground is only snowy where water from the 2 days of rain has not accumulated.  I will be going out to take pictures soon!!!  The kids are amazed, I feel like this is a personal gift from God to me, and hubby (having grown up in norther Maine) just doesn't get as excited as the rest of us.  I LOVE SNOW! 

(Original Poster)

[Fistandantalus]

Mar. 1, 2009 at 10:22 AM

Here in Texas, the trigger word is "hurricane".  Mention of "hurricane wind speeds" and everyone is then speeding down to fight over toilet paper, Ramen noodles, bottled water and shotgun shells.

[heathermichelle]

Mar. 1, 2009 at 10:39 AM

Oh yeah, i seen some really big flakes coming down. We moved to michigan a few months ago and just moved back. It was tons of snow there but this feels like michigan all over again, with the way it is coming down