Winter Storm Surprise '08

This one is for all the homies back in Hotlanta. I woke up this morning, looked out my front window and saw this:


Checked the side window, still there:


And yep, even from the front of my house:



At the risk of sounding Southern (which I'm not . . . despite having lived in Atlanta for the last 12 years), I must say, I was pretty excited. And this is why.

I wasn't excited at the mere fact that there was snow outside. I've seen a good bit of snow in my life; I grew up in Michigan. No, I was excited by the fact that I had not expected there to be snow at all. It was a complete surprise. And it's been a while since I've been surprised by snow.

Living in Atlanta, you tend to hear about the dangerous blizzard that is predicted to blow through town about three weeks ahead of time. It's going to knock out power, close churches and school, cause a run on bread, milk, batteries and firewood. The news stations will tout their coverage as Winter Storm Watch '08. It'll be really dramatic. And then, when it does come, it'll be a light sprinkle that melts the moment it touches the ground. It may be thrilling if you've lived in Atlanta all your life, and that's all you know of snow. But to someone who grew up sledding every day after school until the sun went down, it can all seem a little ridiculous and disheartening.

That's why, when I awoke this morning and saw the unexpected white visitor that blanketed my neighborhood, I was thrilled. I had no idea that it was to snow overnight, did not see it coming in the least. It was a return of innocence to snow for me. Gentle, quiet, still.

I'm sure in a month when I'm trying to de-ice my windshield in subzero wind chills as I drop my keys in a snow drift, this will all seem like a distant memory. But for now, I'm excited to see the snow.