My pioneer childhood

With the recent crazy storm we had here in Indy, my husband has started to ask questions about my childhood, where these types of storms were less “crazy” and more of a “just another week in a Wisconsin childhood.”

Q: If the weather was always bad, when did they cancel school?

A: When the pipes in the building froze and you didn’t have running water.

Q: {after checking the forecast} Wow, they cancelled church. Do you remember church being cancelled growing up?
A: Not really. We drove to church all the time in this weather. They did cancel youth group, though, not wanting the kids driving after dark in the bad weather. People who lived in the country often couldn't make it, though.

Q: Did kids wait out in for the bus in this weather?
A: Sure. Or in a neighbor’s garage. Or in your parent’s car. Or you just wore a lot of clothes.

Q: Does everyone have a truck? Or 4 wheel drive?
A: I learned to drive on a 1990 Toyota Carolla. So no.

Q: Did people complain when they shut roads down to emergency vehicles only?
A: No – because everyone knew someone who had died trying to drive when they shouldn’t have. It’s no joking matter.

Q: Did everyone get brain damage falling on the ice all the time?
A: Probably. We still lived there, right?

Q: Didn’t you move to southern California to get away from all this?
A: Yes. We all see how that worked out – please reference the above answer about brain damage.

This makes me feel like I grew up on the Oregon Trail or something. For the record, I’ve never hunted for my own meat and I’ve never known any who contracted cholera, but I did know one girl from WI whose name was Charity.

Happy winter, all!