I like to make lists of things that are important to me. One such list is, “Reasons that the American Education System is a Joke.” It is very long, and it grows even longer during the winter. This time, it’s because I don’t remember what the difference is between snow and ice is, which is obviously something they should have taught us in school.
I do know that snow can be quite soft, inviting enough to make angels in. Ice is solid, clear, and dangerous, because it tries to kill you when you step on it.
But they’re both made of water. H2O. Three atoms that apparently make a world of difference, even though it’s not that hard to turn ice into snow, or vice versa. And they really share a lot of properties: snow will suffocate you if you bury yourself in it, which is also dangerous, and ice can be turned into cream — very, very, inviting.
I vaguely recall a teacher saying that snow and ice are two immutable categories with no commonalities, but I don’t think she said why, so with the new evidence I’ve gathered I can only assume she was wrong. Next time the roads ice over, I’m going to chip some off and eat it at recess to prove that it's really just hard snow.