Well, it's summer. I have mixed feelings about it. I love the idea of summer; wearing shorts and flip-flops, no need for heavy coats or snow boots. I love going to the pool or the beach. I love that everything is green and flowers are blooming. At least I love the beginning of summer; June and July are fun months. The problem is, it begins to get too hot. By the time August is here, I am ready for cooler weather. The flowers are wilting from the heat, and so am I.
I remember, as a kid, we played outside all summer. I don't remember ever feeling too hot. Was it cooler then, or are kids immune from the heat? Now there are days when I go outside and it feels like an oven. Some days it's so humid that it's hard to breathe. Now I worry about the sun, too. I don't remember putting on sunscreen when I was a child. I used to get sunburns that blistered; no wonder I had a melanoma (it was removed two years ago). So now, each morning before I get dressed I slather on the sunscreen. I can't just wake up, see a beautiful day and run out to meet it.
Summer also makes me yearn for a beach and a palm tree. I would LOVE summer if I could sit on a beach under a palm tree and watch the ocean. I would walk on the beach and lose weight. I would be skinny and tanned and happy!
Speaking of tanning, that's a problem for me. I have skin that burns rather than tans. When I was a teen I actually dreaded summer because everyone else would get tan and I felt like a pale freak. Kids were always holding their arms up against mine to compare; "ooh, look how PALE you are!". I thought it was extremely rude, as if they came up to someone and said "ooh, look how fat you are!".
The only time I've ever developed a tan was when I stayed in Hawaii for three weeks in a row. Just one more reason to love Hawaii!
I don't remember feeling too hot as a kid either - I think because we were always well looked after with cool drinks, shady sandpits, and afternoon naps - none of the running around, cooking, shopping and chores that adults have to do in the heat. I do remember it difficult to find shade, many of our Australian suburbs in the 1950's were becoming established on wide treeless plains and the only shade was around the side of the house.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your summer Judy - it's winter here. Thanks for your recent comment and well wishes.
Same here; i don't remember it being too hot as a kid either. Of course, i grew up in new england; but i bet global warming doesn't help.
ReplyDeleteI love the heat. Been playing in my goldfish pond, trying to fix the hole.
ReplyDeleteGardening is a delight.
Greetings from Cottage Country!