Monday, June 20, 2011

The hissing of summer lawns

With my kids now old enough and self-aware enough to look forward to their long summer break from school, I'm remembering how I felt about summer when I was their age.

Summer meant waking warly and eating cereal while watching cartoons, before anybody else was up.

Summer was bike rides around our neighborhood, up and down the street and venturing onto the steep hills that surrounded it, always with the little thrill of danger and freedom.

Summer was going to swim at the Cumberland Youth Organization pool while our parents played tennis, and begging for money to buy an Icee from the concession stand.

Summer was weekly trips to the library to bring home a towering stack of the thickest books I could carry.

Summer was the grinding sound of the electric ice cream maker turning cream and sugar and fruit into homemade ice cream.

Summer was chasing fireflies in the front yard.

Summer was Vacation Bible School, Little Debbies and "suicides" from the Coke wagon.d

And summer hasn't changed a whole lot, if we're honest, four decades on. I expect my kids will make a similar list when they're grown and feeling nostalgic.

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