It’s still hard to believe we’re already into our second press week of May.
In the office, our coverage calendar is filling up with events – sometimes doubling up to two or more a day!
I know it’s one part weather-related rush and another part getting things done before school is out for summer.
I mean, at least I think that’s the grand idea to get things done sooner rather than later.
There’s just certain temperatures and humidity levels where I’m unenthused or prompted to leave the safety of an air-conditioned building or vehicle.
Plus, I’m not really looking forward to the official start of our Atlantic Hurricane season on June 1.
While I always looked forward to summer break as a kid, now it’s a bit less fun as an adult with so many responsibilities.
Maybe I’m just too young at heart to see the appeal of working all the time, especially during the summer months!
I’m also sure those sentiments might also be tied to my ADHD, but I’m not a professional, so I can only ponder it quietly.
But, being honest, are you at the position in life that you pictured yourself as a child?
From what I can recall, I didn’t plan for much, but I always remember thinking that being an adult initially would be more fun or interesting.
I mean, the prospect of doing whatever I wanted without parental oversight was by far the largest draw of adulthood.
Summertime was the closest I could get to that when I spent days with my friends or siblings at Parks and Recreation activity camps, binge-watching cartoons or random educational series on TLC or the Discovery Channel.
My late grandmother took me to almost every vacation bible school across the city or dropped us off at the city pool for entire afternoons smelling like chlorine and wrinkled appendages.
And when we got to have family road trips and long weekend vacations?
Man, those were the highlights of summer!
It was always a hallmark of conversation, the following August when school started.
I remember how the first few weeks of classes were spent talking about summer experiences and showing off some souvenirs or pictures from my peers’ respective adventures.
Of course, there was also some petty ranking system going on in some cliques and circles, but by my teen years, my friend group reflected a similar social standing dynamic, and we didn’t judge by such shallow standards.
I’m also pretty sure I actually developed a tan that lasted almost all year long back then – now I’m an indoor plant that suffers sunburn at the drop of a hat.
But the memories made back then stick out more than what I had for dinner last week, and that’s what makes May seem so bittersweet and nostalgic to me.
The closest I get to reviving that summer excitement is by living vicariously through social media and managing to coordinate some quality time with my closest friends at least once during the entire 60-plus-day span of time.
This year, we’re trying our hand at possibly a once-a-month hang-out session or dinner group – so I’m looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
No doubt I’ll keep you all posted on how it pans out because it’s hard to come up with column ideas in the summer!
