A “white on white” day
Sitting here, watching the visibility go from sketchy to null. Listening to the rattle of my world from the winds, and noting the passage of the plow, as the local operator does his best to keep “the roads open”. I didn’t have to go out today.
Actually, that applies to most of my neighbours; schools and offices stayed shuttered, as the storm blew through. No real snowfall, but every flurry that wasn’t frozen to the ground was in motion, leading to the dreaded whiteouts. And I took a few minutes to reflect on an important part of my life in the workforce; I never had to go to work on a bad day. In education, unlike other sectors of the economy, we realize that productivity isn’t measured by the number of hours you sit at your desk (students and staff, both). Schools stay closed on days like this.
On social media, a steady stream of consciousness from others, wondering if they can get to work, or get home again. No need to ponder the fate of customers (they’re smart enough to stay home, when they can). But, for those that earn a minimum wage, the employer has more push than any storm. Get to work, or else!
Some of the media feed contained segments from dash cams and cellphones, showing that outside you aren’t getting much of the detail.
Whiteout is intense, when you’re in your car and can’t tell if the roadway is about to veer, or if a car is about to test the ability of two objects to occupy the same space. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we agreed that safety is more important than a marginal share of “the economy”?
