Blizzard of '78 - By Steve Aveson

John,

Thank you for inspiring this way of continuing the journey.

Continued: Life with Stuart

Karen Musser was in love with this guy named Stuart Whitla when we met at Wheelock College and through a mutual friend agreed to share an apartment in Brookline. In addition to the fact that she was way smart, and real cute, and despite the fact that she immediately managed to wangle the best bedroom in the apartment, Karen was charming and fun, and I expected Stuart to be remarkable.

He exceeded expectations. For a quiet gentleman he had a smile that illuminated the room like no one else and his strength and determination are both legend and inspiring. And that combination is at the heart of my story.

We shared our apartment during the fall of 1977 through the Winter and Spring of 1978. When the Blizzard of '78 hit we four roommates retreated to the apartment early in the storm. It quickly became clear that we were in for a big one and Karen, sensing that school might close down, wondered whether she should leave Brookline to hook up with Stuart (this was before Hooking up was what it is today but may or may not have had the same meaning back then!).

The cautious and conservative side of Karen prevailed upon her to stay put since there was a chance school might go forward. However in no time it became clear that not only would school not reopen, but neither would the roads. We were trapped and not going anywhere. Furthermore, no one was coming our way either, specifically Stuart. Because not only had the Governor declared a state of emergency, closing the roads, but Stuart had an injured leg and was trapped in cast!

Karen was not just disappointed,sad or depressed, she was despondent. In the age before cell phones she glued herself to our landline talking with Stuart (perhaps crying?) lamenting her poor judgement for not going to be with him at the beginning of the storm.

Stuart promised that he'd find a way to get to her. It's just the kind of corny thing that guys have been saying to calm down sweethearts for generations and it worked. Karen relinquished the telephone, we baked cookies, played games, got bored doing whatever classwork we could do, got bored of each other and looked out the window in awe at the accumulation of impassable white stuff.

Not only were the roads officially closed but it was hard to imagine how any vehicle could get by no matter what. This was before HUMVEE Nation.

At midnight the snow had stopped and it was actually quite beautiful outdoors...was there a full moon?.......perhaps.....it was quiet.....when the phone rang.....Karen lurched for the reciever......a chance to speak with her sweetheart perhaps......but not just that as it turns out....we watched as she dragged the telephone to the bay window and looking down the street she saw ( or imagined she could see ) Stuart calling her from a Public Phone booth two blocks away......

Somehow he'd used that smile to win the hearts of a state trooper or two along the way from Wellesley to Brookline and wangled a ride here and there to take his broken legged self to see his sweetheart.

That's determination folks...and a lot of love I suppose....and the whole unforgettable experience is accented forever by the image of Karen soon-to-be-Whitla putting on her slippers and racing down the street in her Pajamas (truly ahead of her time with that fashion choice!) yelling at the top of her lungs, "STUUUUARRRTT".

I can't tell you how many times I've told that story to colleagues and friends, almost always perfect strangers to Stuart and Karen, and it's always brought the same result. A reflection of that warm and dynamic smile.

Stuart and I were born on the same day.

I'll always treasure the memory of my Birthday Buddy.

Steve Aveson