I see Hurricane Florence in the news and half-heartedly say, “Is one half of Florence and the Machine really going to wipe me out?” The answer is no, as I’ve been trying to find my optimism lately. “What am I expecting to happen, though?”

“Do I want this hurricane?” I think. “What’s my problem?”

The problem is the fatigue around school silently usurping the need for safety. School doesn’t close on snow days because they see it as a fun day to stay home; they see icy roads. The eastern seaboard hasn’t declared a complete state of emergency because they want a unitedly easy-going weekend off. That’s what most students see, however.

Many school-age kids have desensitized potential danger to a convenience. I see people calling for tornadoes to rip up their school root-and-stem to avoid attendance, and although this is obviously humorous, the mentality is true. The often fatal weather occurrences that shut down schools, cities, and highways are waited upon for relief. They are waited on to alleviate fatigue.

Most dialogue that I’ve heard stem from this incoming storm has been related to closings or delays. I have not heard one call of warning or safety from my fellow classmates. If the severity is brought up, it is in relation to how many days it will let us off for. Sometimes, people are simply disconnected from potential danger.

There must have been a child or two in 2005-era Louisiana that was blissfully unaware as to why the southern part of their state was letting them off of school. That is, until they were sitting atop a flooded house.

This effect has come from years of conditioning to enjoy days of leisure where many are out suffering in the cold or heat. This has come from years of stress destroying motivation; and motivation is a corner of education.

I’ve been a long-time ignorer of the danger of weather. Now that I am a driver, I have seen the effects of poor conditions more openly. I regularly dodge deer, cut fog, and jump gorges on my way to Mt. Cross road every morning. I know the potential danger of what a little extra snow or rain or wind could have on my ability.

Allocating the appropriate amount of weight on potentially fatal situations is a key of maturing into adulthood, so while I do sometimes feel like I need a break, I also think well wishes on those who will not be joining me.

Hurricane Florence could be the fourth horseman of the apocalypse or light breeze. It could drizzle to no avail or flood the roads and eliminate our power. I do not know. However, I’ve grown enough to hope that I won’t be forced to swim to Mt. Cross.