It’s the day after Labor Day and conventional wisdom decries the end of summer with no more barbecues, beaches or white clothes. Well, I call BULL! It’s still summer! Summer won’t be over until September 21st and that gives me (and the rest of us) 2 1/2 more weeks to enjoy the season while it lasts! I was having brunch with a friend this weekend and she reminded me of this fact and I thought yeah, why are we rushing the end of summer to declare Fall so soon?
One of the obvious answers is the anxious retailers who have products to sell. Immediately after the 4th of July, we started seeing commercials for Back to School sales. Back to school? In July? Quit playing. And I have no doubt that in about three days we’ll start seeing ads for Halloween and before Halloween arrives, we’ll see ads for the holidays. It’s beyond ridiculous. There’s planning ahead and then there’s plain foolishness.
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Which brings me to a larger and more significant issue: the constant and overwhelming inclination to project ourselves into the future. Consumerism aside, it seems we’re always in a headlong rush to get to the next thing: the next job, the next doodad, the next phase of life. What’s so difficult about being where we are that has us all dying to get to the next thing all the time?
I think it’s the glittery promise of a Better You that we believe to be waiting in the not-too-distant future. A place where there’s more time, better hairstyles, brighter teeth, and more money. A place where life will be better just as soon as we get past where we are now. The trouble with that thinking is that if you’re not paying attention to The You that you are right now, when you do arrive at that future place/time, you’ll still be the Same You. Only the date will have changed, The You will have remained the same.
Tragic I know.
As for me, I’m working on limiting my projections and my rushing by using the remaining summer days and nights to simply be where I am. To enjoy the sunsets and warm breezes, flip flops and outdoor Sunday brunches, magazines, and margaritas. Fall and Winter will be here soon enough, when we’re expected to get back to the serious business of life. Summertime is where the living is easy and I’ll be taking it easy for just a little while longer. I hope you will too! After all, it’s still summer.
Thanks for reading!
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Aubrey! 110 degrees!!?? I can't imagine! Well, I can but I don't want to!
You're right, it's definitely part and parcel of the rat race and that's no way to live. I'm glad you found me on Where Bloggers Blog! Very cool.
Did you submit your space as well? I'll look for it!
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
I feel the same way. I have read a few posts now about summer being over but here in Texas it's just the middle of it. We're just continuing on with the 110 degrees and little rain.
And yes, yes, yes!! There is too much living in the past or the future and not enough living in the now. To many to-do lists to x off instead of just live. I feel like, sometimes, it's all one big rat race of dotting I's and crossing T's and I just don't want to be a part of that race.
Thanks for sharing. Also, I found your blog on 'Where Bloggers Blog'
Cheers to ya!