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June 21, 2008
A Story For Your Summer...
On this first day of summer, I thought I'd help you work through the heat, humidity and haziness with a humorous tale. So get comfy...This is going to take a while.
So many years ago, growing up outside of New York City, we (my friend and I) used to hope and pray that our schools would be closed due to heavy snow. (Or any snow.) But for some reason, our school district (a rather large one) REFUSED, simply REFUSED to close schools when snow would fall. Something about not getting paid, or having a finite amount of snow days, yadda, yadda, yadda. In the eyes of a child that just wants a day off from school, none of that matters.
So on the snowy nights, my friend and I would huddle around the local radio station that broadcast reports of school closings. Our school district started with "S", so of course, the waiting was interminable. (If we were in the 'Apple' school district, our lives would have been sooooo much easier.) Rarely, if ever, did the news anchor close our schools. Yes, to us, he was the guy. It was him. Nobody from the schools would call, no way. This news reader was responsible. We made a pact, my friend and I, one nearly snowy night; that if we ever found this guy, we were going to do something violent to him. Simply because he refused to close our school. Bastard.
Move a few years ahead to Buffalo, New York, where during and after college, I got into the radio business first as a board operator, then a disk jockey, and then a news anchor/reporter. It was during a famous Buffalo snowstorm that I experienced a feeling of dread.
One night, I was called in on my day off, to help read school closings. (You know what's coming...) And since this storm was particularly potent, it closed a lot of school districts. There's no telling if they ALL closed, because I suppose it's possible that some dopey administrator kept their school open. So here I am, reading dozens, upon dozens of schools that are closed, and a terrible thought occurred. What if I have turned into the guy I wanted to physically damage lo those many years ago? What have I done? What if I don't close a school? Will there be two boys wishing horrible things happen to me? What have I become? I became that news anchor, whose only job was to report, and to make the snowy days brighter for kids all over the school district. And as I read, I knew that I was making children happy. I knew that. But there might have been one hearty school district that remained open in the face of heavy snow.
I guess I'll never know...
Have a cool summer.
Posted by Jon at June 21, 2008 08:55 PM