Hello, August, this strange soggy month, not quite summer, not quite autumn. Because it's holiday time, August has the feel of high summer, but technically we've left summer behind. And I for one am not sad to see it go.
Summer is my least favourite season, a season of high expectations that aren't always met. A season when being happy is seen as a requirement. Contrary yoke that I am, I don't respond well to any suggestion that I ought to be happy simply because the days are longer.
There are various aspects to summer that irritate me
The Weather
When I say weather, I don't mean the weather itself, though I could do without the sticky air and marshy nights. It's people talking about the weather that drives me nuts. Every passing cloud, every gust of wind is analysed. Rain is a pain, but talking about it makes the pain worse.
People seem to expect a brilliant summer to be served up to them on a plate and forget that this is Ireland. This year, we had four weeks of brilliant sunshine, but those memories are now submerged in a bank of cloud.
The Food
This is the time of year when people become excited about barbecues. I just can't be enthused about bits of burnt meat. These burnt offerings are accompanied by salad, and salad simply does not reach the place in my soul that is satisfied by good food. Salad is full of leaves, and leaves taste of grass. If I wanted to eat grass, I'd be a horse.
The Sunshine
When the summer goes well, the sun shines for hours. It beckons you to be happy. It reproaches you for sitting inside, reading a book. It's hard to know what to do with all this light. You feel obliged to go for a walk, whether you want to or not.
Photo Description: This photo shows a hand capturing rays of sunshine. THe hand is raised up and holds the rays of sunshine that pass through it.
Worse than that is the idea that the sunshine will erase your problems. Frankly, the suggestion that a person's problems will melt away is a bit of an insult. The sun may lift your mood, but if you're grieving, you'll still grieve. If the summer arrangements for your kids are stressing you out, the sun won't help you manage your schedule.
Summer can still be really enjoyable, if you shed your expectations like you shed your layers. I enjoy the beams of sunshine that appear. In the meantime, I enjoy bumping into people who have come out of hibernation, bringing my nieces and nephew to the amusements and eating ice cream.
If you want to share your feelings about summer or tell me I'm being an utter killjoy, leave a comment.