Back When It Used To Snow

A child of the 2000s, constantly bombarded with “only you can save our planet” messaging, I had it in my mind that I would save the planet single-handedly. I screamed at my parents to shut the lights off when leaving a room. I picked up trash at the beach. Every year, I did lemonade stands to save the tigers. My parents never believed me or took me seriously. This year, it was 60 degrees on Christmas in New Jersey. My parents and my aunts and uncles are talking about going on skiing trips in the late 90s. “That was back when it used to snow,” my mom says. A few pairs of eyes turn to look at me.