Right now, I feel a good deal like Florence Garland did in 1880:
“Miss Garland was thinking and biting her lip. She could not decide to dismiss school because of a storm, but this storm frightened her.
“‘I ought to tell her what to do,’ Laura thought. But she could not think what to do. It was not safe to leave the schoolhouse and it was not safe to stay there. Even the twelve patent desks might not last long enough to keep them warm until the blizzard ended.”
p. 85, The Long Winter
And so, today, I can still see across the street, as of right now. But the winds are picking up, the snow is coming, and K-12 schools across the state, gifted with weather radar, have cancelled classes beginning at noon today.
MSU, as a university, has not yet made the move to cancel classes. And so, as I teach all afternoon, what is it I do?
I go back to the trope of independence, of course. I live six blocks from here, and I can make it home safely this afternoon. Some of my students, commuters, might have an hour or more to drive. I put the decision in their hands, blessing the modern technology that allows me to shoot an email to all of them simultaneously.
There are no penalties for unexcused absences today, I wrote. I’m here, and I’ll hold class for those who also are here. But use your own judgment, and I’ll see the lot of you on Wednesday.
My great hope? I don’t need a rope and a lantern to make it safely home.
So how did it go? I haven’t been following the weather reports in MN. Is everyone huddled in their shanties?
Well, it was a one-day blizzard, so the next day, though area schools started late, the sun shone. And the temperature dropped like a stone. We’re hovering at about zero for a high right now, but as long as the sun shines, I’m a happy girl.
But should I trust the sun?