Through the fortunate use of a friend's computer, I bring you this latest issue that has parents up in arms...
We are still going through one of the longest cold snaps this area has seen in decades. Two of the past seven days have seen the high temperature for the day lower than the average low temperature for this time of year. We've not had a double-digit low temperature in nearly two weeks.
But according to a local meterologic specialist, this cold wave has not set individual records. Nor has it resulted in much snow, as we've still tallied less than ten inches for the season. Roads are perfectly normal in fact; any ice was melted over a week ago to where there's not even slush to go through.
But to hear the wave of school closing that came through this week simply because of the prolonged cold surprised me. Are there seriously that many building problems in the area just starting in 2007? Or has a new excuse for closing down schools come through?
My generation was not as hearty as the one before. Bill Cosby made the joke that his father had to walk to school "uphill, both ways." So we didn't have it as hard as the older generation. Now I know what went through the older people's minds when they shrugged their shoulders & sighed at us for complaining about the conditions.
Snowstorm or ice storm, granted - schools would be closed. Building problems - acceptable. Too many cases of teachers honestly getting the flu - understood. But just cold weather when the roads are passable and most car batteries do work properly?
I hope it's not just me who thinks this latest fad started this year. More and more, future generations are being coddled, and it can all be traced to political correctness. Consequences and less-than-ideal situations are the norm for humankind, and a thicker hide needs to be grown as a person moves up in life. If they are protected from every minor thing, what will happen when they reach adulthood will shock them & remind them of how unprepared they may end up.
It gets just as cold where I work as it does around my house or anyone else's, and yes - I dread having to venture out in that weather. But I dress smart, and I head to work knowing there's a job to be done. Saying the airport should close due to cold weather is just a joke: that would never be an excuse for actually cancelling all the flights (to warm-weather destinations, no less). As it is with mail delivery, there's a job to be done regardless of the weather conditions.
Schooling prepares you for a successful life, and you need all those 180 days of education you can get. Unfortunately, it requires some effort to get there, just like it does in the adult world of jobs. Why try to take the easy way out if weather conditions and the building facilities are near ideal?
There are always roadblocks in preparing a child for adult life & responsibilities. But some of these roadblocks are glorified window-dressing in their purpose and reasoning.
