Is Summer Over? I Hope Not!

How is it August already? Incredibly, we are more than halfway through the summer. A local weather newscaster this morning told the viewing audience not to worry, there are only fifty more days left of summer. Fall is on the way, he said. I couldn't believe it. Summer just began, how could there be so little of it left? I even went to my calendar and counted the days for myself. I counted forty-six days, so it's ending even faster than the weather guy is promoting on his TV show. 

The part about his comment that really hit me, however, was the way he said it. His tone inferred that we are all just sitting in our homes huddled around the air conditioner waiting for the first leaves to tumble out of the trees. That we're looking ahead fondly to the idea of crisp air and the temperatures that cause that chill in the air.

Now, I for one, still have a lot on my summer agenda. I am not quite ready for the muted brown and orange colors that represent the fall season. I'm still enjoying the summer Olympics. There are still parties to be had out by my pool, drinks to be guzzled by the lake, and cook outs that play the sweet sounds of the fat and juices popping and dripping off a nice steak, or a mouthwatering burger as they hit the hot coals beneath. I'm heading up to my hometown of Syracuse in a couple of weeks to visit with family and attend one of the best state fairs in the country. There will be plenty of sun, fun, and food while I'm there. They know how to enjoy the summer season in central New York. There's so little of it, they have to savor every moment.

This year, summer officially ends when the sun sets on September 21st and rises on September 22nd signifying the true beginning of the autumn season. Although for me, the summer season ends in October on the last day of the World Series, signifying the end of MLB for another year. When the boys of summer are done, then so be it, bring on the fall.

The problem is that all of the retail world starts celebrating the fall season in mid-August. They break out all the pumpkin spice stuff and start stocking their shelves with Halloween candy, costumes, and decorations. Don't misunderstand me--I love the fall season. I just want to celebrate it when summer is actually over... not before.

When I was a kid, the new school year didn't begin until after Labor Day. My grandkids went back to school this week. In August. In the middle of the summer. As much as I agree that our children need a good, solid, education, I think that starting the school year in early August is a bit much. Our kids also need to be able to play and explore and grow outside the confines of the classroom. Once their time in school ends and they are full-fledged adults, they will have plenty of time to work during the summer. Why rob them of the sweet pleasures of childhood by taking a month away from their summers? But I digress...

We wait all year long to be able to let our hair down and cut loose a little bit during the summertime. Why rush it to end? Why drive a steamroller over the beautiful sights, sounds, and smells of summer? In a way, by rushing toward the fall season during the summertime, aren't we actually also rushing away our lives? I'm not a young man anymore. I do not need the world pushing against my back to take me out of summer and into fall. Let me meander over when the season arrives in its own time. Then I'll be all in and enjoy all the pumpkins, apples, cider, and Halloween candy one man can stand. Just not pumpkin spice drinks. Sorry... not a fan.

The summer is rushing by fast enough on its own. Let's not help it.

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You can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎