What
a depressing thought. One mere degree!!!
THE
NATIONAL WEATHER Service indicated that the day did warm up slightly – Jan. 7,
2015 officially had a high temperature of 6 degrees recorded at O’Hare International
Airport.
But
the fact is it is cold out there. And not just winter weather cold (we’re used
to that). I’m talking about hazardous to one’s life cold, if one doesn’t have
enough sense to take precautions. What went through the heads of all those “Polar
Bear” types (the ones who insist on taking a New Year’s Day swim) is beyond me.
Many
school districts, including the Chicago Public Schools, have cancelled classes
the past two days. In fact, the Chicago schools made the call Wednesday
afternoon that they were going to remain closed for Thursday.
Which
has led to complaints from people who seem determined to find something to
gripe about. Stupid school administrators turning our kids into sissies who can’t
cope with a little cold weather.
AS
THEY WANT to see it, the snowfall stopped days ago, the streets are largely
cleared, and they want to view it as ridiculous that kids can’t make a short
walk to school – no matter how cold the temperature is.
Which
is something I’ll have to admit seems unusual. Although I found it amusing the Facebook-posted observation of one of my former City News Bureau of Chicago counterparts who recalled winters past of having to check with stores on snow shovel sales as part of weather story coverage. If only that were a significant issue this week.
This
winter and last may have seen schools close more than I recall schools closing
back the entire time I was still required to get a basic education (which was the
1970s and early 1980s).
I
recall the winter of 1977 in junior high school because that was a particularly
cold spell for Chicago. I recall the school closings, and listening to local
radio stations in suburban Lansing and Hammond, Ind., to see if our local
schools were closed.
I
STILL HAVE the memories of the day where the temperature dipped to about zero,
yet my school district did NOT close. Although as I recall, my mother felt it
was ridiculous for me to make the roughly six-block walk in that kind of
temperature, and she had me and my brother (who had about a two-block walk to
his school) stay home.
She
wound up writing me the note for my teacher that basically said “Please excuse
Gregory. It was too cold to send him to school.”
Believe
it or not, the teachers accepted that, and my absence that day was excused.
But
what really sticks in my memory is that winter temperatures were in the 30s to
20s (in degrees, Fahrenheit). The number of days that dipped below zero were
truly rare.
IT
IS WHY I find it bizarre the number of such frigid days we have experienced in
recent years.
It
also makes me think that the people who are complaining that the schools are
closed are ones who have overly-heated offices to work out of, and probably
have the heat in their cars turned up full-blast!
If,
by chance, they had to shovel their own sidewalks, they’re probably now griping
beyond belief once they got back inside their homes.
In
my case, I have worked from home this week. I haven’t really had to go outside –
except to check the mailbox to see if the proverbial paycheck is “in the mail”
and which bills will eat up every single penny of it!
SO
PERHAPS I’M willing to give those school officials some understanding on why it
might not be best to expect so many kids to converge on their buildings on days
like this week. I also feel sympathy for the mail carrier whose job required
him to trudge to my front door on a daily basis.
The
last thing we need is an increase in frostbite cases that need to be reported
on – or other illnesses being triggered by the Arctic-like temperatures we’re
now facing in Chicago.
-30-
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