The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!

I am sure everyone living on the east coast of this United States of America has heard of the impending snow storm. I am a resident of Maryland and in the particular area where I live we have had many different predictions about the amount of snow we are to have. The reports earlier this morning announced that we were to have six inches. By the time I left work at Old Navy at three o'clock this afternoon customers informed me that three feet of fluffy white flakes were projected to cover the ground.

I find it hysterical how people respond when snow warnings flash on the internet, TV and radio. The traffic was horrific! Now, traffic in this area is usually heavy, but when it takes thirty-five minutes for me to get home from work when it is typically a ten minute ride, traffic is truly bad. People have gone insane thinking that they will not be able to finish their Christmas shopping or that they are going to run out of food because this snow storm will keep them trapped until next week or something!

One customer told me and my co-worker about her grocery shopping experience before coming to our store. She said the store was jam-packed. She then insisted when we responded with some type of empathetic remark that unless we were there we could not understand how busy the store really was. She whipped out a digital camera from her purse and turned it on. She held the camera close to her chest and said, "I knew that my son would think I was exaggerating about the grocery store. So, I decided to take a picture to really show him!" She turned the camera around for us to see and she was right! The people in the grocery store were packed in like sardines in a can! I do not think even a little flea could have fit in the store! She told us she had to wait in line for an hour just to buy a few items.

I got to experience the groceryy store craze first-hand later that evening when I realized I forgot to buy beans yesterday for my chili. You may ask, "After hearing that story, why in the world would you go near a grocery store?!" and my answer is simple. I was hungry for chili and so I was getting my beans! So, off to the grocery store my husband and I went! Thankfully, it was not as bad as that poor woman's experience , but it was especially busy.

I really do not understand the sudden panic people seem to undergo when snow warnings appear. One would think someone had announced that the sky was going to fall. Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, snow is a natural occurence in this area in the winter. Granted, sixteen inches of snow is quite a bit, but must people act like they are going to trapped for eternity? I do not know. Maybe I am just a little peeved because it took me so long to get home from work today. Ah, well. I am curious to see how much snow we truly do get and how it is going to affect my drive to work tomorrow night....