Writer's Workshop 2-11-10

The prompt I chose is...

Describe my worst winter weather story...

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Let's face it... when you live in Southern California, there aren't many "winter weather" stories to tell. Every winter weather story I could remember took place either in another state... or another country.

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Sooo... I chose the one when I was 17, and in Canada visiting family for Christmas.

The cousin I was staying with had to go to work, and she warned me not to go outside into the snow alone. (There were no cell phones back then). Her son, my age, was at work also, so I had the place to myself. Well, it started to snow... actually coming down from the sky... and I got SOOOO EXCITED!

IT WAS MY VERY FIRST TIME EVER SEEING SNOW FALLING!

When we arrived in Toronto, there was a thick blanket of snow... but the sky was blue, and it was FREEZING!

I was sooo bummed that it might stay clear, and I'd never be able to see snow falling during my stay.

Well, Mother Nature obliged me.

I spent forever getting all bundled up, (it was a nightmare, in CA you throw on a jacket and you are good to go), and against my cousins advice, I went out to play in the snow.

I slipped, I slid, I was happy, and giddy, and looked like a total dork jumping around like a 5 year old in the falling snow. One couple stopped their car and said "You aren't from around here... are you?"

I told them SoCal and they got it.. and drove off laughing...hopefully with me, and not at me... but I'll never know.

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I decided to take a short walk.

There was a little park nearby. In the summer, when I've visited, the park was gorgeous and green and had lots of little hills and beautiful trees, and I really wanted to see untouched snow on trees and experience my own little "winter wonderland"... just like the Courier and Ives pictures I've seen.

So I headed to the park.

Remember... I don't do snow. It never snows where I live... heck... it hardly rains... ever...

so I am completely clueless as to the ins and outs of snow safety.

So... I walk to the park... and see the edge of what I think I can remember as a little cliff, maybe 5 feet high. I am such a dufus... I just take my first step to go down the hill, and I fall, straight down the side of the hill.

Guess what color coat and hat I'm wearing... yeah... go ahead...

When shopping for "winter wear" before our trip, coats and hats and scarves and gloves were foreign to us, and my Mama and I thought it was be fabulous to buy chic white coats and matching hats.

So yeah... I'm wearing WHITE! Duh!!!! It matches the snow!

THANK GOD I am 5'7" and my hair is brunette.

I wasn't worried until I could. not. get. out. of. the. snow. I had no idea how to manuever in new snow.

I start screaming at the top of my lungs.

Then I remembered... my Mama had enrolled me in self defense classes when I was 11-13 and they told me to never just scream for screaming sake... most people won't care or bother...

but if you yell FIRE!!!! FIRE!!!! people take notice.

Sooo..I yelled FIRE!!! FIRE!!! HELP!!! FIRE!!!!

A park worker happened to be emptying trash cans that day, and heard me, ran over, helped me get my balance and made the observation that I 'wasn't from around here'.

I hugged him, crying, and told him I thought I was gonna die there(being a dramatic 17 yr old).. and no... I wasn't from anywhere remotely around there.

I was a dumb California girl, who prefered to be chic instead of sensible, and didn't heed good advice not to leave the house alone.

He walked me the one block to my cousins house, where he shook my hand, and went about his work at the park.. people in Canada are so nice!

I hurried up and changed my clothes, washed and dried them, grabbed the remote control and vegged out in front of the TV until my cousins came home, a few hours later.

When they asked me what I did that day, I told them I caught up on my homework from school, called my friends in Cali, and just vegged out.

They felt bad for me, they had to work only one more day then they were off the next two weeks, and they picked my parent's and brother up and we all went out to dinner, passing the park where I slipped... a small smile crept on my face... only I knew what an idiot I was that... until now...

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