Our first snow of the season.
I don’t love snow, but I don’t hate the first few flakes either. It’s fun for kids to sled and play, and it’s cozy to sit inside under a blanket by the fire. I love how the fresh snow sparkles like a blanket of glitter in the sunlight, and how its soft glow lights up the otherwise dark night.
For now, it’s beautiful.
Ask me again in February – when the snow is dirty and piled into mountains around every parking lot – and I might feel differently.
As I sit here during our second two-hour school delay of the week, I’m reminded that this is someone’s first time driving in the snow. Maybe it’s a sixteen-year-old with a brand-new license or someone who just moved here from a sunny state. Either way, it’s a rite of passage. Driving on snow and ice is just part of life in the Midwest – and honestly, kind of a special skill.
I know how to drive in snow, and I’m as comfortable as anyone can be. But that doesn’t mean I enjoy it. Even with plows and salt trucks, roads can still be slick. I never get used to that heart-stopping feeling of sliding on ice – the sudden loss of control, the slow drift past an entrance, the helpless spin of tires at a stop sign. It’s scary, even for those of us who grew up in it.
Midwestern Language 101
Snow driving isn’t our only regional specialty. Just like we’ve learned to handle black ice and frozen locks, we’ve developed our own language – little phrases that make us unmistakably Midwestern.
Take “ope,” for example. I had no idea it was regional until someone pointed it out, but now that I think about it, it’s practically punctuation in my vocabulary.
- Walking in front of someone in the grocery aisle? “Ope, ’scuse me.”
- Getting ready to leave a friend’s house? “Ope, better get going.”
- Spotting something surprising? “Ope, what do you have there?”
It fits nearly every situation – and I’m sure I use it way too often.
A friend who moved here from Los Angeles once laughed and said, “You Midwesterners say, ‘Okay, I’ll let you go now’ when you’re ready to end a conversation.” She’s right. We say it like we’re doing the other person a favor, when really, we’re the ones ready to go. It’s politeness wrapped in practicality – just another survival skill, like knowing when to shovel before the next freeze.
Pop, Ranch, and Regional Identity
Our language isn’t the only giveaway. Back in college, I remember laughing about how different parts of the country use different words for the same things:
- Pop versus soda
- Tennis shoes versus sneakers
And then there’s ranch dressing – not a word difference, but a lifestyle one. Around here, ranch isn’t just a salad dressing; it’s practically its own food group. Fries, pizza, chicken nuggets – you name it, we dip it.
Every region has its quirks, and ours just happen to come with snow boots, casserole dishes, and that signature Midwestern kindness that says, “I’ll let you go now,” even when we are the ones that want to go.
Still, every once in a while – maybe when the snow starts to pile up or I’ve said “ope” for the tenth time that day – I catch myself wondering what life would be like somewhere completely different.
The “What If” Daydream
Maybe it’s a me thing, or maybe everyone imagines living in another region, but I sometimes picture myself as a real New Yorker. I see sleek black clothes, quick steps, a latte in one hand, and confidence in the other. Maybe I’d have a favorite coffee cart, go to Broadway shows, and own a pair of those red-bottom heels I could never justify buying here.
In my head, it’s The Devil Wears Prada meets Suits. But then I laugh, because I can’t imagine any New Yorker daydreaming about life in the Midwest – land of flyover states, snow shovels, and “ope.”
Coming Home to What Fits
Still, there’s something quietly comforting about knowing I can drive through a blizzard, shovel a driveway before breakfast, and say “ope” without a second thought.
It’s a badge of honor that feels small but solid – a part of who I am.
Maybe I’ll never be a New Yorker striding through Times Square, but I’ll always be the Midwestern girl who knows how to handle a snowstorm and end a phone call politely.
And honestly? I think that’s pretty special too.
What about you?
What’s a “special skill” from your part of the country that outsiders wouldn’t understand? Tell me in the comments below!
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