Act of God
Before moving to the suburbs, I
always thought an "Act of God" was a flash of lightning at Mt. Sinai
or forty days and forty nights of rain.
Out here, they call a snowfall an "Act of God" and they close
the schools.
The first time it happened I
experienced a warm, maternal glow, a feeling of confidence that I lived in a
community which would put its children above inclement weather. The second time, that same week, I
experienced a not-so-warm glow, but began to wonder if perhaps the kids could
wear tennis rackets on their feet and a tow rope around their waists to guide
them. On the third day school was
canceled within a two-week period, I was organizing a dog-sled pool. We racked up fifteen Acts of God that year .
. .
It got to be a winter morning
ritual. We'd all sit around the radio
like an underground movement in touch with the free world. When the announcer read the names of the
schools closed, a rousing cheer would go up and the kids would scatter. I'd cry a little in the dishtowel . . .
Little things began to bother me
about these unscheduled closings. For
example, we'd drive by the school and our second-grader would point and ask,
"What's that building, Daddy?" Also, it was March and they hadn't had their Christmas
exchange yet. Our ten-year-old had to be
prompted with his alphabet.
"We might as well be living in
Fort Apache," said one mother.
"If this snow doesn't melt soon, my kid will outgrow his school
desk." We all agreed something had
to be done.
This year, a curious thing
happened. In the newspaper it was stated
that snow was no longer to be considered an Act of God by the state board of
education. Their concern was that the
children spend a minimum number of hours in school each week and that the buses
would roll come yells or high water.
Snow is a beautiful, graceful thing
as it floats downward to the earth, and is enhanced greatly by the breathtaking
indention of school bus snow tires. Snow
is now considered an Act of Nature in the suburbs. And everyone knows she's a Mother and
understands these things.
- At Wit's End, Nelson Doubleday, Inc., 1965
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