This is going to be controversial. But here goes. I don’t like summer.
It’s true that I love vacations, and i really like living in a temperate climate. I i certainly don’t much care for winter of any kind. I like 20C/72F with blue skies. I can skip everything else, thanks.
summer is filled with expensive events, sloth, gluttony, and a general lack of structure and routines. and me, I’m a girl with a plan. I don’t like to be tightly belted in (like, for example, i never get up with an alarm clock, year round), but I do like to do the same thing pretty much every day. Summer throws me off. Because everyone ELSE is off doing random things. and I’d prefer everything stayed the same.
Want to go visit friends? “Sorry we’re away for July.” Want to get the dishwasher repaired? repair guys aren’t working on Fridays for August. Want to send a business email and get a response? Fat chance.
I like to work, and i have very cool job(s). But in the summer both of my major sources of income dry up for different reasons, basically because everyone else is on vacation. I can send out a newsletter to my clients in May and get 100 responses. I can send out something in July and get 10 tiny answers.
Also, in lots of places in Europe, there’s very little going on in August. It’s Superior and Painful Deadsville. Stores closed, favorite cafe closed for 3 weeks, butcher shuts his doors, the limited Sunday shopping halts, the farmers’ markets have very few stalls. There’s no car traffic. The neighbors above and below are away. It’s quiet. Too quiet for me.
I’ve experimented with working minimally in August, to try to match the European trend where little gets done, but mostly i struggle the entire month, yearning for things to get back to normal. In my regular school-year life, i’m creating projects, i’m selling events, and when I send out an email there are actual physical humans on the other end reading them.
Also, this summer, i’ve been … well it’s obvious, isn’t it? … i’ve been working on being sober. since july 1st. that’s my entire summer. and now i’m super very thankful that the ‘working hard at being sober’ part is over. So thanks summer, see ya later.
Let’s raise a toast to September, the time of cooler temperatures, red leaves (depending on where you live), and NEW notebooks with NEW erasers and NEW pens and NEW shoes, and NEW possibilities and NEW opportunities, and NEW friends, and NEW plans, and NEW projects.
Calculations: Today is my 6 year wedding anniversary : ) Today is Day #67 sober. I have been writing 30 minutes a day since September 1st, and even managed to write 3 of 4 days while on vacation; will make up the missing 30 mins this week. So far my 30-day September writing project is quite easy and fine (go figure!) Compared to quitting drinking, maybe all of the rest of my 30 day projects will seem painless by comparison! Let’s hope.
Went to Malaysia and my feet swelled up in the heat. Went to Italy in July and sat on the beach in the middle of the day (where is everyone?!) and turned bright red. Not much of a summer gal me, either. Scandinavian blood and pale skin makes me much more likely to be found indoors. Here we’re heading into spring and the flowers are breaking forth slowly. I’ve moved to a city that has crap weather so this summer isn’t going to be much of a chore for me. Loved your protein post .. roll on September indeed! xxx
Ha, I wrote a post today in this vein…heard a lot of sober types talking about being ready for fall and being more productive, so it’s going around. Last summer I was where you are, newly sober. Now I look back on last summer fondly, but I don’t think I fully felt it then. I’m with you on fall – here’s to cooler weather and changing leaves and the world feeling (hopefully) a bit more in synch.
I’m not fond of summer because where I grew up it was too humid, and where I live now it’s dry and really, really hot. To hot to be out in. September 1st to me is like heaven opening up its doors!
Honey, I’m with you on this one. I hate summer and I’m not particularly fond of the holidays either for all the same reasons. I like the vibe of structure and work. I like it when the ‘open’ sign is out and commerce is up and running. The quiet of the holidays creeps me out.
yes, yes, i agree 100%. i like the ‘open’ sign, too : ) that’s exactly it! I think next year i’ll plan to go to Thailand or Australia or Montreal, or do something completely extraordinary for the month of August, just to feel like something HAPPENED…