It's Minnesota: Get Over It!

Yet again, schools statewide are closed. The metro high is forcast -9 today, or -35 to -40 wind chill. So much for the heat island. Outstate temperatures and winds are much worse. A gas pipeline fire has calls for lowering thermostats to 60 and propane is expensive and getting scarce. Every time it warms a few degrees it snows, then blows, and blizzard conditions are commonly referred to, along with road closures.

It's a "good old-fashioned winter". We haven't had one like this for 20 years.

Lucky us. (For those other 19 years, that is.)

But there's always somebody complaining about school or road closures, saying we should be used to this. It's Minnesota. Toughen up, folks.

So, I guess they're saying that when skin freezes in 5 minutes, school kids should be out waiting for the bus. Nevermind that buses can't be depended upon to be there within an exact time window. Stuff happens. The previous kids could be a bit late getting down their driveway. An accident could delay the bus while it sits waiting for the road to clear. Or perhaps parents should suddenly be responsible for personally driving their kids to school because nothing ever happens to cars when parents are struggling to keep up with the bills, not to mention preventive auto maintenance. Nobody else ever hits an icy patch and involves your vehicle too. Deer never bound out in front of cars without warning. And no kid ever managed to lose a mitten or hat either to or from school.

And of course parents can always keep up with growing children's need for the next size in winter clothing. I happen to remember the year when child support stopped at the same time Paul grew 4 sizes taller. But I'm sure that never happens to other struggling parents.

And of course we  never get immigrants to our state from warmer climates, looking for a chance to succeed in a state with one of the best unemployment rates. Coming from Somalia. India. Texas. Alabama. Heck, even Alaska is warmer. Our weatherman is rubbing our noses in Anchorage's high temperatures: 45, 41, 36, 32, 34...and all those are above zero, folks, something we've been on the wrong side of for far too long.

So for all those of you who like to complain that schools are closed again, that classes might have to run a day or three extra next summer, just shut up. This is Minnesota. Get over it. At least next June those kids will still have enough fingers left on their hands to hold their pencils and use their keyboards when they get there. They'll still be there to hug you when they get home.