RON MALY HAS BEEN WATCHING THE PARADE GO BY FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS ONE OF HIS WEBSITES.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

It's a Soft Society


By RON MALY

I've been thinking for quite a while that we're living in a soft society. 

Further proof of that is what's going on now with schools and weather. 

Not just, plain old Iowa weather, but the
Wilson School in Cedar Rapids in nicer weather
weather forecasts.  


The forecasters have been telling us for several days now that the weather is going to very cold on Monday. 

So cold, I guess, that some people think classes should be canceled in Iowa's schools. 

Indeed, school has been already called off at some schools because of the frigid weather that's expected Monday. 

Same thing in Minnesota, where it's always cold.  

Four of my six grandchildren still attend high school in either Iowa or Minnesota.  

I hate to bring up the old days again but, hey, I'm going to bring up the old days. 

I walked to school in my seven years [kindergarten and grades 1 through 6] at Lincoln Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, and I walked to school in my six years [two in junior high, four in high school] at Wilson. 

I walked two blocks each way to Lincoln and I walked a mile each way to Wilson. 

My parents never drove me to either school because sometimes we didn't own a car in those years. 

Furthermore, I don't recall classes ever being called off at either Lincoln or Wilson because of cold weather or snow. 

No one ever considered something like that.  

I cannot imagine calling off school because of a weather forecast. 

Like I said, we're now living in a soft society.