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For nearly the past three years in Philly, it has almost never snowed. I like it when it snows. Watching a snowfall is a wonderful thing to do. Sitting in a nice warm home, maybe by a fire, catching up on some reading or continuing binge-watching of whatever on Netflix, enjoying a nice beverage of some sort, all come with a snowfall. A new snowfall also provides a great opportunity to work from home, due to the inclement weather. Children would likely be home, too, as schools often close when it snows. Snow would also give many of us a reason to take a little time to go outside and build snowmen, go sledding, have snowball fights, and so on. But without snow obviously, none of these things can happen.

Welcome February 2021.

It seems to snow almost every day in Philly anymore. No worries because like I shared, I like the snow. However, we cannot enjoy a good snowfall anymore. And I hold the pandemic responsible.

Most people are WFH these days due to pandemic. Children are home, too, as schools are educating students remotely. And because of the pandemic, none of us get true snow days anymore.

I remember as a kid getting up after a snowfall and immediately turning on KYW News radio, the local radio news outlet here in Philly, anxiously awaiting my school number to be announced. 552 was my grammar school’s number. As soon as I heard “552,” I would run upstairs at warp speed, get my gear on, and rush outside. Snow meant no school for the day. A day off. Even as recently as a few years ago, snow meant a WFH day and a day out of the office, where one could take their foot off the gas a bit and enjoy the peace that snow brought. After all, who would know?

But not anymore.

I'm not sure about you, but WFH leads to work ALL THE TIME from home. You log in first thing in the morning, you get started, and BAM! 10 hours (or more) later, you are still online. You get wrapped up on calls, or work around a big project, or get started preparing for upcoming assignments, and the next thing you know, you come close to missing dinner. Forget about breakfast. You already missed that.

All of us are looking forward to the time when the pandemic ends and life returns to the old normal, when we went to our offices and our kids to their schools. And I am sure the same can be said for enjoying things the way they used to be, like in-store shopping, going to the movies, eating out at a nice restaurant, or something as simple as getting a day off because of something like the snow.

Until then, stay safe. And if you can sneak out after the snow falls, get outside and build that snowman you have been wanting to build. I will cover for you with the boss.



#CareerAdvice