For the past several weeks, our country has been ravaged by the now-infamous polar vortex. This evil weather system marched its way from the artic regions of Canada and wreaked havoc on the lives of innocent men, women, and children from Montana to Florida. The nation shuddered as over 180 million Americans were forced to wear warmer jackets.
The situation became so dire that CNN decided to post a Q&A article in order to guarantee the safety of its readers (http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/06/us/polar-vortex-explained/). In the article, CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller explained the severity of the situation. Q: What do you do if trapped in a polar vortex? A: Stay inside.
Luckily, warmer weather has brought salvation to the East Coast thanks to a “Dixie Vortex” (all rights reserved) that brought temperatures up to almost 60 Degrees in parts of New York State.
* * *
What used to be called a “cold snap” or a “January thaw” has now grown to apocalyptic proportions. I guess I should be grateful that I can even write this article – after all, I was supposed to perish along with everyone else on Earth back in December of 2012. The past few years have seen a growth in sensationalism within the media, as new future disasters appear every month. Whether it is a killer asteroid from deep outer space, a solar flare threatening to wipe out every electronic device ever produced, or an earthquake along the supposed fault line miles beneath New York City, the people of the 21st century are fed a never-ending buffet of impending doom.
Although our love affair with disaster can seem amusing, it actually reflects a very serious problem with modern culture. Our society has become reluctant to take responsibility for its actions, and seems to require some external excuse for being late to work, missing practice, or forgetting homework. “The polar vortex ate my homework” might actually become the excuse of the 21st century student… that is if he survives the next news cycle.