You know that moment when you realize that it’s almost summertime? You get overly hyper and extremely impatient. Most people simply love summer because it means vacations, no school and sleeping late. The other three seasons can be characterized by high school football, family gatherings, snow and spring break. Summertime is a season of fun, relaxation, and anticipation.
The summer “bug” usually affects college students during the week of spring break. The students realize they have about two months left and get the summertime buzz. They no longer want to attend classes or complete assignments. High school students really suffer during the pre-summer weeks because they have to prepare for state testing, and since their teachers are so stressed about the test, every one is stressed. Of course, the teachers also struggle when they realize they don’t have enough time to cover all the required information. It is a lose-lose situation.
Looking at how summertime pans out for the older generation includes eagerly awaiting the spring season so they can conduct rituals such as spring cleaning and planting gardens. In the south, the summer season means excessive gardening throughout the neighborhood, with that one neighbor who planted too much. In turn, you have an over abundance of squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, figs etc. When you receive those fresh vegetables and fruits, you must immediately put your plans on hold so you can harvest, shell, shuck, and store your additional food items. The process of “putting up” vegetables is very complicated and requires time, hard work, and an empty freezer. This characteristic of summertime does not grant you fun and relaxation, but you really appreciate the effort during the winter season. But hey, free food and great neighbors!
For teenagers, summer is the highlight of teenage rebellion and heightened laziness. They tend to sleep late, because they probably stayed up way too late with friends or the XBox. Unfortunately, parents often foil those plans and expect their children to complete chores both inside and outside the house. And since summer means hot weather, parents passionately urge their children to wake up early and work before it gets too hot. Parents also have an annoying habit of creating summer jobs just to keep the kids out of trouble, but they try to say it "teaches responsibility" and is "good play money". Parents may also volunteer their children to help the grandparents or neighbors with additional chores. So, teenagers' plans of sleeping late may not happen much in the summer if the parents believe that you don’t have enough to do.
Vacations are wonderful retreats after a long year of school. Just thinking about spending a week being lazy at a fabulous resort brings a smile to your face. That is unless your vacation becomes a scheduled family event that your mother monitors hour-by-hour. Moms have this idea that since the vacation is costing money we should stay busy. Who wants to be told when to get up, eat, shop, have fun and sleep while on vacation? The vacation becomes even more complicated when additional family members join in the fun. Now, Mom has more scheduling to maintain so that all family members are included in every event and no one is feeling left out. And don’t forget about capturing all those vacation memories for everyone else to see. We spend a lot of time pausing the fun time so Mom can take pictures and videos of our summer fun. Though moms tend to go overboard on the whole "vacation planning", admit, you appreciate not having to be the one to plan and go and keep things smooth.
Summertime seems to blend with both spring and fall, and it is sadly over before you know it. Summer is but a bright fleeting moment of every year before the real world wanders back into every young child, teenager, college student, parent and eldery person's life. It brings a chance to take a break from school and realize that you miss it. The summer season may be brief, but it gives you a chance to create many wonderful memories that will last a lifetime and fondly smile as you remember that one summer day or night.
