The Way He Sees It

Who says you have to go far to have an adventure?

The other night, Cincinnati received its second "big" snowstorm in one week. We're usually good for maybe one big snowfall, so to have two in a row is a bit much for us. To add to the drama, our big snowfall totaled as much as 12" in some areas. (To put this in perspective, a big snowfall around here averages around 3 or 4 inches. I'm no weather girl, but I've lived here long enough to know what's "typical.")

The timing of the more recent storm was critical. It began around 2:30 pm, when kids were just getting out of school and commuters were thinking of maybe leaving work a little early.

The result: The city was completely shut down.

Commutes that typically range from 20-30 minutes took 2-3 hours. Or more! In my dad's case, his took 5 hours, 15 minutes, for what's typically a 25-minute drive. This was not a fun adventure for most people stuck in traffic.

Then there's my son. He got on the bus at 3:15. With the transfer and the drop-offs, the going was slow, but they were making progress. That is, until they got within a mile of our home. Then they sat, for about 2 hours.

Oh, I worried about him. I called the transportation department, so I knew he was on the bus and safe. But it was 5:00 and he still wasn't home. Then 5:30. 6:00. 6:30. I knew he must be hungry and bored and impatient and angry!

Finally, at 6:40 pm, he walked through the door.

But you know what? He was smiling, he was "wired," he had plenty to talk about! This had indeed been an adventure for him. And although it's one he's not eager to repeat, he had the time of his life less than 1 mile from home, on a bus, in a snowstorm.

I guess it's all a matter of how you look at things. Sometimes, an adventure close to home can be the best one of all.