Saturday, December 10, 2011

Snow and Other Mean Things to Say


Lets talk a moment about snow in alliteration:  It's white, water, and comes in winter.

Now let's talk about snow in Chicago:  It's a fact of life and a price I must pay.

I prefer alliteration.

Starting before I moved to this great city, people spoke of The Snow.  Friends and strangers advised me on how to cope with The Snow.  I was given advise without asking, while drinking, and even when getting a sunburn.  When people didn't know what to say, they mentioned it in catastrophic terms.  Groups would gather to discuss how I'm from the South and will have a tough time in the winter.  Length of coats, undergarments, and the glove v. mitten debate raged around me.

I bit my tongue.  Being from the South, I was raised to be polite.

 It snowed.

Sweet, soft, silent snow fell over the city Thursday night like a first blanket of winter.  

Wonderful, wistful, white snow