Welcome, Snowpocalypse 2014!
The last two days have consisted of my dear friend Sam and I huddled up on my couch watching movies, reading books; and venturing out into the snow in search of provisions, friends, and the campus scoop. I love days where I’m holed up in my home—partly because I am a huge introvert and love an excuse to read too much and gorge on Netflix, but mostly because I find out a lot about myself as I search for things to do.
I am a storyteller. It’s why writing is everything to me, and it’s why I’m a journalist. So when Sam and I started talking to dining hall staff (with the small hope they were serving food for free! Alas, they were not) and employees at open local businesses about how they were still on campus because the students needed them, I was reminded why I love journalism so much.
People across the city snapped photos of people helping out by carrying supplies to the interstate, offering free hot chocolate, and taking in stranded travelers; they created Google Maps for people to mark open homes and safe places and to call for help if stuck or unsafe. Twitter was blowing up yesterday with announcements, stories, and photos.
The people of Atlanta were journalists these past two days. And through their stories and photos, we are able to put together the horror stories, traffic jams, miracles, and kindnesses that make up the snowstorm of 2014.
I am thankful to be a journalist because people want to be heard, and people want to hear. The heroic stories of these past two days have uplifted the spirits of people who were stuck in a car for 18 hours and helped shine light on what initially seemed like a horrible situation.
I am thankful my friends are home safely, I am thankful I was able to take a friend in and spend time with her, and I am thankful I will still be performing in Savannah this weekend.
And today, I am thankful I’ve chosen to tell stories for the rest of my life. I can’t think of anything better.
Laura Catherine Apperson 