“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing and the lawn mower is broken.”
It’s here. I know summer officially doesn't arrive for a couple more weeks, but for me, summer always begins with the start of June.
So it came to pass on Monday that summer was here, at least for me. And what a day it was. The sun was shining bright. We were able to enjoy that blue Georgia sky and for a little while at least, all seemed right with the world.
My enjoyment of summer obviously goes back to my childhood. I suppose it’s that way for most. When you are young, summer means a break from school and until you are old enough for that first summer job it means the ultimate in being lazy, watching television, going swimming or doing just about anything you want.
Summer, to me, has always meant longer days, great weather and a replenishing of the soul. Old Man Winter has completely lost his grasp by June and it’s as if everything has a new, bright light shining on it.
I still long for those summers of my youth when I literally didn’t have a care in the world. I can remember counting down the days until the school year was over up to three months in advance.
Today, summer is a little different of course. As adults, we often don’t notice summer expect for the fact there is less traffic on the roads in the morning. No longer do we have to worry about getting caught behind school buses on a commute to and from work.
Work rolls on, even in summer. Through the years in the newspaper business, we’ve usually had summer interns, whether they are college or high school students. It’s always interesting to see how they enjoy the break from school, even if it means working.
It’s hard not to think back to younger days when trips to 4-H camp were common. The days of playing recreation baseball and the fun I would have hanging out at the complex with friends are also easily recalled. The hours upon hours at the local swimming pool where time was no factor at all are still fresh in my mind. “A different world,” I often think to myself when I recall those days. Yet, I still think of them often.
As I wrote in a previous column, I have been able to reconnect with many childhood friends in recent weeks. Seeing pictures of them today, along with their families, brings a smile to my face as I think back to times of yesterday when we were the children, running free and enjoying summer.
I only wish there was some way to bottle up that feeling of enjoying summer as a child. If somehow we could go back, even if only for a week or a day, and experience it all again.
Summer will always be great. Even as I now begin my 38th year on this planet, I will always look forward to the arrival of the summer months and welcome it with open arms. However, summer will always be reserved for kids in my line of thinking. For it’s kids who are truly able to be carefree and enjoy the overall beauty that is summer.
For now, I will enjoy it the best way I can. I will enjoy having a little daylight when I get home from work and watching the final rays of the summer sky begin to fade. And I will think somewhere of a younger version of myself running wild and free and enjoying all the glory that summer has to offer.
Welcome back summer. You’ve been gone too long my friend.
Chris Bridges is an editor with Mainstreet Newspapers. You can reach him at chris@mainstreetnews.com.
