When Men Become Boys

Walking through Fort Greene Park on my normal path to the train, I am feeling particularly nostalgic today. This is the second snow-storm/blizzard to hit New York City this year. The wind stings just a little bit on my face and Julie Andrews' voice is ringing in my ears as pebble-sized snow flakes truly do stick to my nose and eyelashes. Snow is crunching and the sounds of children shreaking joyfully mixes with the laughter of grown men, momentarily reduced to boyhood. These are very familiar sounds. These are the sounds of a SNOW DAY.



I am particularly struck by all the dad's who are out playing with their children. They have taken the day off of work to stay home with their children. I walk past the only hill in our neighborhood and I can't help but stop and watch. Little children are fearlessly tucked between their dad's legs and on the count of three, both are screaming with laughter as they whisk down a perfectly packed snowbank. I wonder which of the two is having more fun. Suddenly, I can smell the aftershave on my Morfar's (grandfather's) neck and I feel his stubble against my face as I am tucked in the safety of his leg-hold as we share a sled ride. I hear my dad's blissful "WOOHOO!". I am on the hill outside our home in Sweden, knee deep in snow on a particular day when we were determined to sled but the snow was so deep that the sleds wouldn't budge. Dad to the rescue! I don't know at this point in my life how long it took them, but the men of the house went out with shovels to pack all that snow down into a perfect path. These are the things we expected from our dads at the time, but when I look back, this 25 year old woman wants to call him up and say thank you. We pulled him out into the cold, disappointed that the snow couldn't be enjoyed the way we wanted and he made it happen. I don't think he labored in vain though. He stayed and enjoyed the fruits of his labor. I think its the grown men who have the greater share of fun. For they know that the reality of everyday life is not whizzing down a perfect hill in a sled, but often drudging up hill through slush. The children only know today, and may never appreciate the time that was sacrificed for this day in the snow.

Nearly our entire city is house bound, or so one would expect. But the evidence suggests otherwise. In a city of 8-million people, it's hard to miss the snow activities that have brought children young and old out today. And with only so many square miles of shared outdoor space the concentration makes for some great shots.

Enjoy! This is winter in NY: