The New Year Really Starts in September
Our new clothes were carefully laid out. New notebooks and pens were neatly stacked nearby.
It was time for the annual inspection by Mom to be sure we were set for day one of school, no matter what grade we were entering. Casual summer was over. Structured fall was about to begin. The weeks-long Monopoly game sat idle, the last move of summer frozen in place.
This time of year has always seemed like the start of a new year, when you suddenly realize that summer is over and the world is moving on whether you like it or not.
Certainly, school starting again is a main driver of that. Maybe Labor Day should be New Year’s Day. I don’t think there’s a greater change in the year than at Labor Day. New Years Day and Labor Day each mark the end of a vacation. But the only thing that changes after New Year’s Day is that it gets colder.
Just before Labor Day, there’s a sudden burst of activity, getting kids ready for school while still trying to enjoy the last few days before the end of summer. After Labor Day there’s a very noticeable uptick in activities starting with buses everywhere. I try to stay off the road during those times of day .
Almost Fall
It’s meteorological fall – not officially fall yet – but a lot of things change quickly this time of year and the signs are there. The cooler nights and fresher air remind us of the things to come over the last third of the year. Leaves start to change color, almost imperceptibly at first. Then a few leaves start to fall, especially in a dry year like this one when even weeds are drying up.
The long, warm summer days slowly get shorter and colder. Outside activities switch to inside activities. Church programs begin anew. We live differently. Apples, pumpkins and honey appear for sale everywhere. The final garage sales of the year are held. This used to be when the first Halloween candy appeared back in the day. Now it’s out in full force before River City Days.
I never liked Labor Day because I dreaded starting school again. I would need to focus and pay attention and that was asking a lot. But that lasted about five minutes into the first day back. Sharing our summer stories and displaying the scars to prove them brought us all back together. In fifth grade we even sang a song called “We’re All Together Again.”
I’ll bet the most lifestyle changes occur this time of year. I don’t remember a school year starting without a number of new kids who moved to town over the summer. And some who had moved out.
At first, school seemed weird because, at least for awhile, it was still almost like summer. It was warm enough for shorts and it was still light until supper time. There were still a few hot days, too, and sitting in a school without air conditioning was almost unbearable.
“You Shoulda Seen!”
We had much to look forward to in September. The new TV shows started. We tried to watch each episode of our favorite shows so we wouldn’t miss anything and would have something to talk about at school. It was tough for me because we had one TV and only got two channels clear enough to watch.
Dad read up on the new cars coming to the local dealers in October. We looked forward to the new car smell and pretending we were driving a brand new car. The free stuff was good, too.
We visited Flower Valley Orchard and ate apples until our stomachs rebelled. We did manage to find room for Mom’s fresh-baked apple pie, though, augmented by a pail of vanilla ice cream.
The excuse that it’s summer has expired. For some, that means a chance to refocus on work and career. You know fall is near when the Community Ed flyer arrives in August. Maybe it’s time to expand your interests.
Now is the time to plan some useful activities for fall and winter. And that means getting more exercise and stimulation than pedaling a tiny leg exerciser while working on jigsaw puzzles in front of the TV for four months straight.
As Rod Stewart sang in Maggie May: “It’s late September and I really should be back in school.”
Yeah. Maybe so, Kemosobe.