Call me a skeptic, but I’ve never been a strong believer in global warming. Weather is supposed to run in cycles, right?
After an almost non-existent amount of snow last year, wasn’t the Middletown area supposed to have an excess of snow this year? It could almost be considered snow karma.
Okay, maybe this logic is a little faulty.
Though last year’s Middletown High School seniors may have run out of luck in many ways, including the lack of winter weather; it seemed to be a sure thing that this year would bring a sunnier, I mean — snowier — perspective.
See what I did there? Yeah, it was a cheap pun. Those in Jerry Donald’s class can relate.
But in a stunning turn of events, Punxsutawney Phil created outrage on Feb. 2 by calling for an early spring, going against the bipartisan efforts of seniors to increase snowfall, and successfully ending his bid for president in 2016.
Hey, nothing is out of the question when it comes to politics anymore.
This does not change the fact that as the calendar approaches mid-February, also known as the prime time for the onset of senioritis, Middletown has seen no significant accumulation. However, the few dustings received earlier in the month deserve to be noted if only for the fact that they single-handedly managed to turn the MHS parking lot into the world’s most portable ski resort.
For those keeping score at home, that brings the total of days off caused by snow to zero and the total of days off caused by a hurricane to two. Who would have placed a bet on that prior to this school year?
Those who have done so, please go to window and collect your winnings now. Also consider investing in the stock market.
To bring more of an intellectual air to this argument, consider this: according to the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang, the Washington, D.C. area is now mired in its least snowy two-year period on record.
The last time when there was a similar shortage of snow? Flip the calendar pages back to the two-year period of 1996 to 1997, during which a collective 6.8 inches of snow fell.
All while the MHS students who are now seniors were crawling around in diapers, unaware of the bout of misfortune that was going to occur almost 16 years later.
One would think there would be more luck than misfortune right now .Consider the local sports scene. Even as the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Redskins made the playoffs (two things that seemed unthinkable to happen this past year or at any time during the teenage years of any MHS student) and the Baltimore Ravens were boosted by a tidal wave of destiny (or was it Destiny’s Child and Beyoncé?) , the snow refuses to cooperate.
Maybe Ray Lewis needs to do a fancy ritual to call upon the snow gods and ask for mercy. That might do the job.
In the meantime, maybe the philosophy that Punxsutawney Phil has presented has some value.
If it is not going to snow this winter, then bring on spring. Seriously, what purpose does winter serve other than to provide a natural cause for students to get out of school?
Otherwise, winter is just a cold, uncomfortable waiting room for months that actually allow students to see sunlight when waking up to go to school.
Who knew a groundhog could have so much sense? Maybe Punxsutawney Phil should reconsider that whole running for office idea.
