I remember the Blizzard of '78 as if it were yesterday. I was then attending Boston University's (now-defunct) Program in Artisanry, continuing on with my studies in metalsmithing, which, as everyone here knows, I love, and living downtown in a Boston University Dormitory. Since I was living downtown, I didn't have to worry about getting around or being able to get my schoolwork done when the Blizzard of '78 hit.

Later on, in the dormitory, my dormmates and I watched rather scary things on the evening news; people being horribly stranded in their cars and not able to get home from work, or wherever, and people were even stranded at their places of work. Some patients who needed medical prescriptions of some kind or other were helped out by others, who helped these patients procure their necessary prescriptions. People ended up buying soap, toothbrushes, and whatever, due to being stranded  at their school or workplaces.

The day the Blizzard of '78 hit had started out like an ordinary day. A snowfall was predicted, but nothing nearly as big as it was going to turn out to be later on. I was still working in the metalsmithing studio at the school, along with a number of other people. As tiime went on, the forecasts became somewhat more ominous and urgent. As the snow arrived and began falling thicker and faster, it became clear that this was not going to be just one of our usual snowstorms.

It was clear from the satellite patterns, and from the fact that people were having a tougher-than-usual time driving and walking around, and that this was going to be a much worse, and much more intense snowstorm than they'd been predicting earllier. The snow dumped a total of roughly 3 feet on the whole state of Massachusetts. When it finally stopped snowing and the sun came out, it was a rather festive time for everyone. The whole state of Massachusetts had been effectively shut down.

Since then-State Governor Michael Dukakis had declared a state of emergency in the entire Bay State, nobody was allowed to drive, except emergency vehicles, i. e. police, state, fire, snow-removal vehicles, and ambulances. It was actually a big test for everybody: the elements vs. humankind--bigtime! Since nobody could drive, it seemed that pretty much everybody was out walking or cross-country-skiing around the city! It was actually a very festive time, especially since no cars were allowed on the road.

Classes at B. U., including the Program in Artisanry, which I was attending, were also called off for that entire week. Since I was living downtown, I also spent lots of time in the metalsmithing studio and got a lot of work done. Walking around the city was fun--I also met up with some friends of mine from an outside-the-university class that I was taking.

Meanwhile, huge pieces of snow-removal equipment had to flown in from the Mid-West, and, all over the city and state of Massachusetts generally, people were busy digging out, and the snow was being put into great big trucks and hauled away in huge, huge trucks. There were some mountains of snow near some college dorms in the city, including B. U.'s, and many people were having fun, climbing on them, having snowball fights, etc. It proved that people, in a crisis, are quite capable of pulling together, which,for a short while, they did. It seemed like one large community out there during this time.

I admit to one thing, however; as much as I love my family, I was happy to be living downtown, being able to have access to the studio and getting work done, and not having to worry about getting around, since there was public transportation and I could go on foot if need be. Had I been living at home, which was then Lincoln, MA, out in the suburbs, I admittedly would've been more nervous, tense, and worn everyone in my family out, because I admittedly do get that way if and when I feel too confined and not in control of things. Anyway, this whole thing passed, and things eventually returned to normal, for which everyone was more than grateful.