A Fond Farewell to Summer
By Charles P. Eberson
Senior Moments
It’s over. The summer I had been waiting for this past, seemingly eternal, winter is over. While winter clung on tenaciously, I vowed not to complain about the heat when summer arrived, and yet the heat and humidity had me yearning for its end. Oscar Wilde wrote, “Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative.” I must travel in a circle of the most unimaginative people on the planet. Strangers have blurted out to me about the humidity as if they were making an admission of guilt. Cashiers at the supermarket, nurses in doctors’ offices, tellers in banks- and these are people working inside! In my travels, I see roofers, construction workers, and landscapers working while they have sweated through their clothing, and yet push on. Land breezes add gnats, black flies, and mosquitoes to the steamy cauldron. A couple toll takers, when greeted with a rather insincere, “how ya doing” responded with a tirade about the heat and humidity as I smiled and rolled the window back up, lest I let the cool air escape. Living at the beach, summer used to mean time off from scholastic obligations, surfing, Beach Boys music, and summer jobs with minimal expectations. But either the summers have been more brutal, or I have been less able to manage the heat. I think more the latter since a couple years ago, a hot steamy round of golf ended after only nine holes, with me sitting on the cart path unable to get up unassisted. I am looking forward to the fall with the same anticipation that summer used to hold for me. I can again partake in vigorous outdoor activities without the concern that strangers might be applying cool compresses to my neck and wrists…again. We can visit our favorite restaurants which we left to the tourists since Memorial Day weekend, and calling for a delivery won’t take over a hour. The traffic lights on Atlantic Avenue in Margate and Ventnor will be returned to their yellow blinking status, and I won’t have to stop for beachgoers crossing the road strung out like slow geese. Sure, there’s no rush. Ignore the fact that if I am in a car, there is someplace I have to be, too. I won’t miss that. Oktoberfests and other fall celebrations are just on the horizon, and a great way to pass time instead of passing out. The fall rowing regattas will be starting up in earnest and whole weekends can be spent on the banks of rivers enjoying warm drinks, hot soups, and great racing by rowers of all ages. I say to no one in particular that next year will be my year on the water just as I said last year. But this time I really mean it. Still, it’s only the beginning of September and I am not ready to give up the beach just yet. The water will stay warm for some weeks to come and finding a quiet stretch of sand is going to be much easier. Added to our beach bag of towels, sunscreen, books, etc. will be a long sleeve t-shirt or hoodie for those late afternoon stretches. All in all, I will lament the passing of summer, as uncomfortable as it was at times, for it signifies the passage of time. And, at some inevitable point, I will be bracing myself against the cold and looking forward to another summer.
Charles Eberson has been in the newspaper business for over 25 years. He has worked as a writer, advertising executive, circulation manager and photographer. His photography can be viewed at charles-eberson.fineartamerica.com
