An (Arctic) Blast from the Past

 As I write this, we’re on the brink of a widespread winter storm warning. Here in St. Paul, the temperature today has ranged from -5 to -13, and the wind is expected to pick up, creating blizzard conditions and dangerously low windchills. Across the country, weather forecasters have been calling this the coldest Christmas in roughly 40 years.

Thirty-nine years ago, almost to the day, I was stranded in my car during a similar blizzard. I learned a little something about cold and wind—and also about warmth and love.
 
Here’s a piece I wrote as an undergrad at Mankato State University. It was published in Muse, the student literary magazine. And here is the coat in the story. In all of my moves since then, I’ve always kept it tucked away in the back of my closet. It’s a little moth-eaten by now, but I have no plans to discard it. 

And now I think I need to call my mom. Read the piece and you'll know why. :)

​You can access the PDF here or keep reading below. (Sorry about the blurry type; I think it's a Weebly thing.)

Winter 1986