Remember when we were kids, how we used to wish for snow? For children, snow days are magical and exciting. Sure, your parents might make you do a little shoveling, but who cares? School’s out, you get to break out your sleds and snowsuits, and it’s a free day devoted to fun and play.
Winter storm Jonas reminded us that once we’re adults, the magic of snow kind of wears off. Even if your workplace shuts down, just like the snow, the work doesn’t stop piling up.
In fact, inclement weather creates its own set of challenges. Many of our friends in the trucking industry still have to ship and meet deadlines, snow or no snow! And, there are plenty of other consequences of inclement weather….
I was fortunate to be out of the line of fire with this week’s historic East Coast snowstorm. My flight home from Dallas, TX was scheduled to layover in Charlotte, NC. I’d then hop a commuter flight home to Wilmington – easy, right? No snow there! What I didn’t take into account was the fact that half of the country was rerouting their flights, meaning my simple, snow-free trip was suddenly affected.
Evidence that Chloe was clearly devastated by my absence!
First I got the dreaded robocall from the airlines, telling me my Friday morning flight had been cancelled and I had been re-booked on a flight that wouldn’t get me home until Saturday evening. American Airlines couldn’t get me to Wilmington any earlier because all three hub airports (Charlotte, Philadelphia and LaGuardia) that lead to our local airport were closed.
Now, I try to be an easygoing guy, but this was a special occasion! My daughter was having her 7th birthday party on Friday afternoon, and I wanted to be there for her. So I did what any dedicated, determined Dad would do. When re-booking proved to be impossible, I went to the airport to beg, plead and negotiate a way home. I finally found a flight on a different airline that would bring me home via Atlanta. But even that flight didn’t work. First, it was delayed because the plane needed maintenance. While maintenance engineers did their jobs, the wings iced up. We waited two more hours on the tarmac for our turn with the de-icing crew.
In the midst of my very own version of “Planes, Trains & Automobiles”, I had to call my daughter and explain that her personal patron princess, Elsa, had done a number on my travel plans. And, that thanks to all that snow, Daddy wouldn’t be home in time for her birthday. I was absolutely devastated. It took all my strength to call her and break her little heart. I picked up the phone, dialed, and proceeded to break the news as gently as possible.
Her response? “Okay, Daddy. Wanna talk to Mommy?”
Conceal, don’t feel, little ice princess!
Think “Cold hands, Warm hearts” this weekend,
~Bob
