As a youngster, summer was always the most exciting time of the year for me. So many things to do; baseball, swimming, fishing golfing, trips to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals, afternoons at the local park to play knock-hockey or caroms, and of course, camping out, usually in the back yard.
There were always benchmarks to my summers marked often by big picnics. Memorial Day weekend kicked off the summer and we’d listen to the Indianapolis 500 on the transistor radio. The 4th of July was the halfway point; celebrated with a huge parade and heart pounding fireworks. The county fair and the state fair signaled summer was coming to an end. The tastes and smells of taffy, cotton candy, corn on the cob and the pungent aroma of the carnies working the midway will forever be etched in my senses.
It all came and went way too fast. By the time Jerry Lewis did his annual MDA Telethon, I was already back to school. I longed for the “Endless Summer” the Beach Boys sang about 40 years ago. When I began my career and moved around the country to places like Texas or Alabama I found summers did last longer; or so it seemed. You see, I equated summer with the temperature and the color of the leaves. It stayed warm and green down south a good bit longer and that really helped my state-of-mind.
When my work brought me back to the Midwest I decided it was up to me to keep that endless summer state-of-mind. I developed reasons for staying outdoors later into the year. I played golf with two gloves on, I raked my own leaves and when I hit my middle 40’s I began ice fishing in Northern Wisconsin, with my brother.
It wasn’t just being outside that helped me transform my mindset, it was how I approached my day. When you’re young, every day of summer has adventurous possibilities. As I grew older, and the summer days flew by faster, I was determined not to let the calendar get in the way of my happiness. Finding adventure, completing a project, or relishing a moment wasn’t dictated by the season, but by me.
I smiled when I saw Labor Day weekend was at the earliest possible time this year. What used to signal the end of summer, is just another reason for a cookout for me now. Summer doesn’t have to only be three months. Make it a state-of-mind, not a season.