I'm snowbound and working from home, but I'm loving every minute of enjoying my family
Please forgive me as I’ve been trapped in the house with my offspring and my filter has waned.
When Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell pleaded with Middle Tennessee residents to voluntarily reduce energy usage during the recent sub-zero temperatures, all I could think about was ushering my boys outside and turning off the lights so maybe they would forget I was working from home.
Being homebound for a few days has reminded me of all the people who deserve a little more of my appreciation.
Being a mother is totally insane as best I can tell. “Mom, mom, mom, MAAAAAHHHHMMM!” is more than any human should endure while trapped in a house.
Somewhere in her mind, my wife has dedicated herself to nurturing the four developing children in our home. As referenced above, I’d just put them outside, say something ominous like “Winter is coming!” and then hope for the best. I have again seen all my wife does to care for her people.
My California neighbor has adapted to the unusual winter here
All you mothers with your superpowers and snacks have my perpetual thanks and the appreciation of countless young men who would otherwise be particularly cold, hungry, and uneducated.
Tennesseans have been a little skeptical about Californians moving to the Volunteer State. My neighbor, a former Orange County police officer, embraced his inner redneck and built a wooden snowplow.
He strapped that bad boy to his riding lawn mower and started clearing off our driveways for fun. Great neighbors are a rare find. I have some truly excellent ones, and I need to let them know as much with greater regularity.
Gracious grocery store workers are making it easy on customers
In preparation for the winter weather, my wife braved the chaos and stocked up on groceries. Checking out our truckload of provisions is an experience for us even under normal conditions. Self-checkout is an abomination that should be dispatched with the small exception of an express lane for people who have less than 10 items. Kroger, Walmart, Costco, and a host of other companies have dehumanized themselves in the name of cool gadgetry.
My wife knows the Kroger staff by name. She loves them. These days they stand awkwardly as she wrangles a system that has a several second delay after scanning each item. Fortunately the staff was gracious enough to turn on “speed mode” to waste less shopper time in the face of inclement weather. The few remaining humans who help us navigate our shopping experiences make all the difference in the world. I’m going to show my gratitude for them every time I see them.
Family can be a lot in close quarters, but the trips down the big hill on the sled with my boys are memories that will last. There’s a lot of good around us if we slow down enough from time to time to take it in.
USA TODAY Network Tennessee Columnist Cameron Smith is a Memphis-born, Brentwood-raised recovering political attorney who worked for conservative Republicans. He and his wife Justine are raising three boys in Nolensville, Tennessee. Direct outrage or agreement to smith.david.cameron@gmail.com or @DCameronSmith on X, formerly known as Twitter. Agree or disagree? Send a letter to the editor to letters@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Snow days: Nashville area storm has also made for some great memories
