Ive read the many posts regarding Chicagos extreme weather of late and believe I can offer a unique perspective on what students from warmer climes may be experiencing. I was raised on the Gulf Coast and, after serving in the Air Force, lived in New Orleans for eleven years - both my children were born there - before moving to New Hampshire where weve lived since 2001. We arrived that summer to find people here thought rain and thunder were really scary and our winter denim jackets MIGHT be adequate until September if there was a late fall. At a ski stores clearance tent sale, I threw myself on the mercy of a grandmotherly looking fellow shopper and begged her to show me what I needed to buy so that my children wouldnt freeze. Shes probably still telling the story of that crazy Southern woman but she spent well over an hour helping winterize my family. The pearl of wisdom that stayed with me came from her husband (imagine the sheriff from Murder She Wrote speaking): In New England there is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices. I took those words to heart. Just like I never let rain stop my plans for the day in New Orleans, I dont let cold weather stop my plans in New England, nor does my son in Chicago. Thanks to strangers in Conway, NH I began learning how to not just survive winter but to enjoy it and would like to pay it forward. Please feel free to ask me any questions about what clothing your students need, what they might be dealing with (SAD - seasonal affective disorder is a real thing), why Yankees think cold weather is not that big a deal, etc. Im sure others have great information to share as well. Lets please keep it polite.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 15:23:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015