Submission by Dr. Glenn Mollette
Summer arrives slowly and disappears quickly. This depends on where you live, of course. If you are in South Florida, Texas, Arizona or California, then warm and very hot days are almost always a part of life. For those of us a little farther north, we know about long winters and the wet, chilly months of April and early May. The anticipation of summer is exciting and very welcome.
Sadly, it only takes about two or three really hot days for folks to start growling and complaining about the hot weather. In these parts, we really only have two seasons: very cold weather and very hot weather. We will have a few days of spring and sometimes two or three weeks of nice fall weather, but that’s about it. After that, it’s time for heavy coats or shorts and tank tops.
Summer is finally here and typically hot for the next three to four months. Let’s enjoy the season. Remember that big snowfall just a few months ago? You couldn’t get out of the house some days because it was dangerous. You can go outside now. On hot days, just go early. Go walking, to the grocery store or whatever outside activity you choose.
Stay hydrated. Dehydration is a risk, especially when mowing grass, playing sports or gardening. Take time to cool down and hydrate. Every summer brings tragic news of football players dying during summer camp due to the heat. Coaches and schools must utilize all cautions to take care of their athletes. Parents must speak up about practices on extremely hot days. You have a voice. Speak up and let the coach know it’s seriously too hot for practice.
Reacquaint yourself with neighbors and friends. Take time to visit with those who have been inside most of the year. Take walks and slow down enough to engage in a conversation.
Most Americans have spent a lot of time this year watching television or staring at their computers. You can do this when November rolls back around. Utilize this time to be outside as much as possible. Wash your car, mow grass, plant flowers, play sports, swim, take long drives or visit state parks. Almost anything outside will do.
The nice, long days of summer are now here. When December comes back, it will be dark by 5:30 p.m. and even 4:30 p.m. for most of the country. Currently, it’s staying daylight until 8, 9 or even later. Soak in every minute of doing safe outside activities. When I was a child, we would shoot basketball until 9 or 9:30 in the evening. We swam, camped out and played outside as much as possible. Those were great days, and they were rarely boring. Today, many Americans have a hundred different television stations, movie channels and numerous social media accounts and still end up depressed.
It’s summertime. Don’t miss this glorious season. Do what you can do, all you can do and do it when you can — which is now. You don’t have the guarantee of next summer. We have this summer. Let’s enjoy this season to the max.
Dr. Mollette is the author of a new book titled Rambling Man With A Shaky Hand. Available via Kindle, Amazon hardback and other booksellers.
Feature photo: Pete Markham, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
